Utah City Picks New Mayor with Coin Flip After Vote Ends in Tie

Midvale City in Utah chose its new mayor via a coin toss after its initial vote ended in a tie.

The previous mayor stepped down from the role in November, and 11 applicants, including two councilmembers, applied to take over the position, ABC4 reported.

Utah state law requires an initial vote, and if one candidate receives a three-vote majority, that person becomes mayor. However, if no one receives a three-vote majority, and there is a tie for votes, then a coin toss is used to break that tie.

While Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Glover received two votes, three additional candidates each received one, forcing the coin toss, a first in the city's history, according to ABC4.

Councilmember Dustin Gettel won a three-way, round-robin coin toss tournament to move on to the final round, another vote, against Glover. Gettel went on to secure a majority 3-2 vote and was crowned the interim Mayor of Midvale.

He told ABC4 he will also be running for re-election in 2025.