In November 2016, Republican David Ainsworth and Democrat Sarah Buxton were competing for a seat in Vermont’s House of Representatives.
Election night came and went, but the results were so close that officials had to recount the ballots.
Not once. Twice.
The first recount ended in a tie.
Ainsworth: 1,000 votes.
Buxton: 1,000 votes.
Well, that’s spectacularly unhelpful.
A second recount was conducted, with election officials reviewing the original ballots to determine the final count.
During that second recount, officials also examined ballots the voting machines couldn’t properly read. Apparently, even machines occasionally need a human to sort things out.
And this time, they had a winner.
David Ainsworth: 1,004 votes
Sarah Buxton: 1,003 votes
One vote. That’s all that separated the winner from the loser.
But here’s where this little Vermont election gets particularly interesting.
These two had faced each other before.
Back in 2010, Buxton had defeated Ainsworth for the same legislative seat.
Her winning margin?
You guessed it.
One bloody vote.
Six years later, Ainsworth turned the tables and defeated her by the exact same margin.
Two elections. Six years apart. The same candidates. One vote deciding each race, with a different winner each time.
At that point, I’d have suggested they settle their next election with rock-paper-scissors. Although, knowing their luck, they’d probably tie.
It’s a remarkable example of how much a single ballot can matter.
So the next time someone says their vote doesn’t count, point them toward Vermont.
Apparently, they like to keep their elections interesting.
