Article snippet: A pair of film canisters. A ceramic bowl. A quick swirl and that’s all it took to pick the winner of a hotly contested Virginia House of Delegates seat – where the contest was improbably tied. After weeks of political drama, the Virginia Board of Elections drew the name of Republican incumbent David Yancey out of a ceremonial blue and white ceramic bowl to determine the certified winner of the Virginia House of Delegates 94th District seat. Democrat Shelly Simonds, who sat next to her family and watched as James Alcorn, the Chairman of the Board of Elections, announced her opponent's name to a packed room inside the Patrick Henry Room in Richmond's Capitol Square, did not concede in the aftermath of the drawing, leaving open the possibility of an additional recount. Following weeks of heated legal battles and protestations from both sides to determine the outcome of the race, the method for picking a winner was simple -- both names were typed on a sheet of paper, placed in separate, new, Amazon-bought film canisters, then stirred around in the ceramic bowl made by a local artisan. Alcorn, the Chairman, picked out the winning name by hand. "Today we have witnessed an unprecedented event in the history of the commonwealth of Virginia," said Vice Chairman of the Virginia Board of Elections Claire Wheeler. The last time the state of Virginia drew a name out of a bowl was 1971. But this time more was at stake, as the winner could sway who is picked a... Link to the full article to read more