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A judicial recount of the mayoral election results is underway in Peachland, BC after an unofficial recount showing incumbent Cindy Fortin and challenger Harry Gough tied with 804 votes each.
Provincial Court Judge Ellen Burdett began counting the 2,348 ballots on Monday at 10:00 am (Pacific Time), badisted by three election officials.
If both players remain tied after a recount, their names will be written on pieces of paper and placed in a container. The winner will be chosen by lottery.
It's unclear when the countdown will be over – but if it ends in a tie, the draw will take place immediately.
"I suggest we put aside any contentious ballots until the end," Burdett told Fortin and Gough before the start of the countdown.
"If there is a disputed vote, each of you can make me understand how you think I should interpret that vote."
In a Facebook post Sunday, Fortin said she hoped the community would meet after the result, no matter the winner.
"We will always have differences of opinion and ideas, but that can be a good thing, and that's how we learn from each other," she wrote.
"No matter how it goes, I hope the first thing the new mayor is going to do is work to bring this community together and repair the divisions within the citizens of Peachland."
With files from Brady Strachan
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