By AP/KWMU
Swansea, Ill. – A once-tied race for a trustee's seat in the Metro East town of Swansea has been decided by a passer-by.
On Monday, the county clerk used a system where a passer-by at the St. Clair County courthouse in Belleville was chosen to pick one of two capsules out of a box. Each capsule designated a certain candidate.
The passer-by, Freeburg policeman Mike Schutzenhofer, chose the capsule belonging to Michael Leopold.
On Election Day, Leopold thought he defeated David Thacker by one vote. But last week, a straggling mailed-in ballot for Thacker tied the election at 899 votes each.
Thacker says he accepts the result and won't ask for a recount, although he intends to run again.