High-Card Draw Decides Nevada Election After Candidates Tie
A remarkably Nevada-specific election law was put into practice Wednesday, determining the winner of a trustee seat for the Gerlach General Improvement District with a simple draw of playing cards. The unusual tie-breaking method highlights the unique procedures in place for local elections within the state.
In a special proceeding held at the Washoe County complex, candidates Carl Copek and Seth Schrenzel – both receiving 67 votes and tying for third place in the 2024 election – participated in the unconventional resolution. After a coin toss established the order of selection, Washoe County Registrar of Voters Andrew McDonald presented a new deck of cards.
Schrenzel drew a 7, while Copek received a 5, officially declaring Schrenzel the winner.
The candidates, longtime friends, embraced the process. “This is an exercise in democracy that we wouldn’t miss,” Copek stated. Schrenzel echoed the sentiment, adding, “The tie had to be broken. It had to. This is a legal question that needed to get solved and this is how we solve it in Nevada.”
This wasn’t the first time Washoe County has employed such a method. McDonald noted this was the first election tie in the county since 2018, though in that instance, the candidate who appeared for the tiebreaker was automatically declared the winner when their opponent was absent. The last time a Washoe County election was resolved by a high-card draw was almost two decades ago.
Despite the low voter turnout – 67 votes cast in a district with only 151 registered voters – McDonald emphasized the importance of every ballot. “Every single vote matters and we count every validly cast ballot here in Washoe County,” he said. He also speculated that a higher turnout could have potentially avoided the tie.
The Gerlach General Improvement District oversees the rural northern Nevada town located south of the Black Rock Desert. Four seats were open in the 2024 election, and both Copek and Schrenzel had been serving in the position following the initial vote. The tiebreaker determined who would serve the full four-year term.
As a result of the card draw, Schrenzel will now serve a full term through 2028, while Copek will complete the remainder of a partial term, concluding in 2026.
Nevada Revised Statutes allow for the resolution of tied elections by “lot,” though statewide general election ties are decided by a joint vote of both houses of the Nevada legislature.
This unusual outcome serves as a reminder of the diverse and sometimes surprising ways in which elections can be decided, even in the 21st century.
