By Julie Johansen
After the general election votes were tallied on Nov 8, Emery County School Board 2 candidates Tracey Johnson and Julie Wilson were tied with 444 votes each. As mail-in and absentee votes could not be counted until November 15, the race was postponed until then. A caucus was held that day and votes counted.
Amazingly, after the new count, the two candidates were still tied. County Clerk Brenda Tuttle called the State Attorney General who advised her that she had three options: draw names out of a hat, draw straws or flip a coin. The decision was made to draw straws.
At a previously posted public meeting, Superintendent Larry Davis held the styrofoam block holding two straws and after this strange series of events, Tracey Johnson chose the longest straw and became the new school board member.