Port Colborne councillor elected by random draw following tie, recount

Following a tie for second place on election day and a re-count this afternoon, incumbent Eric Beauregard was selected to be councillor for Ward 2 in Port Colborne.

“I think it is fair, or else we would have to have a by-election and that would take up a lot of city resources,” Beauregard said.

Beauregard will serve his area for a second term following a draw from a box that had both his name and 2nd incumbent Angie Demarais each on a piece of paper. On election day, both candidates finished the night with 342 votes prompting a recount at city hall this afternoon.

Candidate Angie Demarais could not attend today’s recount, because the incumbent had a scheduled surgery today.

The process was closed to the public but after two hours of going through ballots, the tie stood. Leading to a draw from the hat approach selection by the city clerk.

According to the municipal elections act, “if the recount indicates that two or more candidates who cannot both or all be declared elected to an office have received the same number of votes, the clerk shall choose the successful candidate or candidates by lot.”

According to mayor re-lect Bill Steele the draw from a hat is law but believes it could have been avoided with more ballots in the box.

“As a mayor, when you only get 32 per cent of the people voting, it’s not a good sign, and people gotta remember in four years, get out there and vote and maybe we won’t have situations like these,” Steele said.

City officials say council inauguration day takes place on November 22nd.