Election results in Scottdale Borough determined by stone

SCOTTDALE BOROUGH, Pa. — The race for Scottdale Borough’s Ward 1 Council seat was as close as you could get.

Both candidates on the ballot received 132 votes.

On Wednesday, the candidates had to face off in a tiebreaker, leaving the election results up to fate.

Andy Pinskey has served as the Ward 1 Councilman in Scottdale Borough for nearly two decades.

“I’ve been on there for 18 years,” he told Channel 11, recalling the year he was appointed to the seat.

The Republican incumbent was challenged in the general election by Democrat Cherri Rogers. State law says because of the tie, they had to go to a tie-breaker.

In Westmoreland County, that means they had to go to rocks.

“It’s a casting of lots between two people who have the same number of votes,” said Westmoreland County Elections Director Greg McCloskey.

A numbered rock, or pill, goes into the bottle for each candidate that is tied for that race. For this council seat, it was just two. In alphabetical order, the candidates draw their rock from the bottle.

Pinskey drew rock one, keeping his seat.

“It was just the luck of the draw,” he told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

Rogers congratulated Pinskey after his unique win, saying doing so was important.

“Because we’re neighbors. When it comes down to it, we’re all going to take care of each other,” Rogers said. “If that’s the way the marble went, it’s still going to be my responsibility to be a voice for change, but maybe I can inspire him to look at things a different way by participating in one of his committees.”

And while they may have different opinions on what they wanted to do while on the council, they both say this tied election -- with 132 votes a piece -- shows voters an important lesson.

“You should come out and vote,” Pinskey said. “It’s important to cast your ballot.”

“Every vote counts,” added Rogers.

The election results will be certified by Westmoreland County on Monday.

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