BRACEVILLE Down to the toss of a coin?

Official election results are to be announced Nov. 26.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
BRACEVILLE -- The flip of a coin may be all that separates Todd E. Brewster from a new job.
The race for one seat on the Braceville Township board of trustees ended in a dead heat last week, according to unofficial Election Day totals.
If the count is still deadlocked after any remaining ballots are counted, the race between Brewster and two-term incumbent Clyde R. Luther will be decided by a coin toss, said Norma Williams, director of the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
"It is right there in the law," she said.
Trustee Brian T. Smith emerged as the top vote-getter with 443 in the six-way race, guaranteeing him one of the two open seats.
The other seat belongs to either Luther or Brewster, each of whom garnered 400 regular votes on Election Day.
"I hate to see it come to a coin toss," said Luther, who served as the township's road superintendent for 15 years.
"The people voted and it should go the way they want it to go."
The full vote has yet to be counted, Williams said.
Other ballots: Election-night totals accurately reflect the punch cards completed by most voters on Election Day, but there are other types of ballots that have yet to be counted.
Votes by people who changed address without telling the board of elections have not been counted yet and oversees mail-in ballots are accepted for 10 days after the election.
The board of elections is scheduled to count all those votes next Monday, Williams said.
The punch cards that were counted election night will also be run through vote-counting machines again.
Williams said that in 23 years she has never seen the machines produce a different result the second time.
The board plans to officially certify election results Nov. 26.
If the Braceville race is still tied, a coin toss will be followed by an automatic recount, Williams said.