MOUNT DORA, Fla. — After Mount Dora leaders couldn't agree on how to break a tie for a City Council seat, they decided to move forward with a hat drawing that some say is illegal.
Council candidates Marie Rich and Nick Girone both received 2,349 votes in the November 4 election.
The city said it would either flip a coin or put the names in a hat and draw the winner. But a group of residents filed a lawsuit to stop the hat drawing, and a judge agreed with them during an emergency hearing Tuesday morning.
"Seems an archaic way to take care of an election, when you have the ability to come out and vote again, reconsider your vote and decide which candidate is better for the job," said attorney James Homich.
"I was glad to see the judge's decision," said Girone. "I would like to see a runoff."
So Tuesday night it was up to city officials to vote on having a runoff election, but it also ended in a tie. Girone, who currently holds the Council seat, didn't participate in the vote.
Following a discussion, the Council decided to move forward with a hat drawing, but no date was set.
"The charter calls specifically for a runoff election. There's nothing in the charter that allows for a coin flip," said Homich.
The group who filed the lawsuit has five days to go back to court over the hat drawing.
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