Richard Patton has won election to the Carbon County Board of Education as the result of his name being drawn from a hat.
Patton and incumbent Kam Wehing tied in the election when each received 663 votes from Precinct 4. A check by County Clerk Norman Prichard revealed one vote had not been counted. A voting machine did not read it because the corner on the ballot was torn.That vote was for Wehing, and for a time, he appeared to be the winner.
At a canvass of the election, absentee ballots were opened. The one legal absentee ballot was for Patton - resulting in a second tie.
Prichard said he had expected three absentee votes, but one was illegal because it was postmarked the day after the election. A third absentee ballot that had been mailed out never arrived.
The tie was resolved by putting the candidates' names in a hat. County Commissioner Emma Kuykendall drew out Patton's name.
Patton, who will take office in January, planned to attend the school board meeting Thursday to acquaint himself "with what is going on." He said he has no personal agenda but wants to see things prioritized and to make sure "we think of the kids first."
Patton, a lifelong resident of Carbon County, operates an insurance agency.
Wehing had served on the board 11/2 years.