Politics · Canada · 3 hrs ago
Draw decides Lytton mayor after candidates tie at 45 votes
Jennifer Thoss was chosen as mayor of Lytton, B.C. after she and incumbent Denise O’Connor tied in the village’s Oct.
17 election.
Both candidates received 45 votes, and a judicial recount confirmed the tie before a draw in front of a judge decided the result.
Lytton was largely destroyed by a wildfire in 2021 that killed two people and destroyed most of its buildings.
The candidates have disagreed over how the village should rebuild since the fire.
Thoss has criticized the recovery process and warned that planned infrastructure costs could overwhelm Lytton’s small tax base.
O’Connor has defended the work, saying infrastructure and amenities are needed to attract residents as the village recovers.
Jennifer Thoss was chosen as Lytton, B.C.’s next mayor after a random draw broke her 45-45 tie with incumbent Denise O’Connor.
The draw took place Tuesday after a judicial recount at a Kamloops courthouse confirmed the tie.
Thoss, a former councillor, will replace O’Connor, who was elected mayor in 2022.
The candidates differed over the village’s recovery and rebuilding after a 2021 wildfire destroyed much of Lytton.
British Columbia’s Local Government Act allows a random draw to decide a tied council race after a judicial recount if the municipality’s bylaw provides for it.
- Who
- Jennifer Thoss and incumbent Denise O’Connor.
- What
- Thoss was selected as Lytton’s next mayor by random draw after the candidates tied.
- When
- Tuesday, after the Oct. 17 election and a judicial recount.
- Where
- Lytton, B.C.; the recount took place at a Kamloops courthouse.
- Why
- The recount confirmed that both candidates had received 45 votes, so a random draw broke the tie.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Thoss and O’Connor each received 45 votes in Lytton’s mayoral election.
A judicial recount was held in Kamloops and confirmed the tie.
A random draw selected Thoss as Lytton’s next mayor.
- Vote tally
- 45 votes each
- Mayor-elect
- Jennifer Thoss
- Other candidate
- Denise O’Connor
- Recount location
- Kamloops courthouse
- Wildfire
- 2021
- Registered voters
- 198
2 sources
What people are saying
I'm looking at team-building right out of the gate and ... just making sure that we're using our strengths to our best advantage
And Lytton's just such a gem and we have so much opportunity there.
If I'm pulled today, I think I'll be looking at our elections bylaw because I learned a lot through this election with us tying