In a unique turn of events reflecting Nevada’s distinct election laws, the winner of the trustee election for the Gerlach General Improvement District was decided not at the ballot box, but through a high-card draw. Candidates Carl Copek and Seth Schrenzel, each receiving 67 votes and tying for the third position in the 2024 election, participated in this unusual tiebreaker on Wednesday morning at the Washoe County complex.
The draw, overseen by Washoe County registrar of voters Andrew McDonald, began with a coin toss to decide the picking order. A new deck of cards was then spread out on a table. Schrenzel drew a 7, while Copek drew a 5, securing Schrenzel’s victory as the candidate with the higher card.
In lighthearted comments following the draw, both candidates expressed their commitment to the democratic process. “This is an exercise in democracy that we wouldn’t miss,” Copek said, underscoring the spirit of camaraderie between the two individuals who have known each other for years. Schrenzel added, “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 event marked the first election tie in Washoe County since 2018. Notably, during that previous tie, one candidate’s absence resulted in a default winner being declared. McDonald noted that the last election to be resolved by a high-card draw occurred nearly two decades ago. The rarity of such occurrences highlights the significance of each vote, especially in a district with a mere 151 active registered voters. McDonald pointedly observed that with more voter participation, a tie might have been avoided.
The Gerlach General Improvement District, which oversees the governance of the rural town near the Black Rock Desert, had four seats open in the 2024 election. Both Copek and Schrenzel have held their positions since the election, but the high-card draw was crucial in determining the individual who will serve the full four-year term, which extends through 2028. Schrenzel will now take on that full term, while Copek will complete a partial term ending in 2026.
According to Nevada Revised Statutes, many tied elections are resolved by ‘lot,’ while ties in statewide general elections are decided by a joint vote from both houses of the Nevada legislature. This quirky yet democratic resolution underscores the importance of community involvement and the continuity of governance, leaving both candidates optimistic about the future of their district.