Sometimes an easy win can actually come down to the wire. A Washington state city council candidate who didn’t vote for himself lost his election by a margin of one vote.
Voters in Rainier, Washington, elected Ryan Roth to the city council by one vote, an election that could’ve gone differently if opponent Damion Green had voted for himself. Roth beat out Green 247 to 246 because Green didn’t vote for himself.
“I didn’t feel comfortable,” said Green, “I thought it was kind of narcissistic, so I didn’t.”
A hand recount was done to ensure the results were correct and they ended up being the same as those tabulated by machines following the November 7, 2023, election. The vote was close enough to qualify for a mandatory recount.
Three Thurston County elections employees spent about an hour recounting the 555 ballots submitted from voters eligible to vote in the Rainier City Council races. Roth was excited for his win and grateful for his wife, who insisted he vote for himself.
“I was like, ‘It’s one vote. Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. I’m not like super worried about it.’ But my wife was pushing it,” said Roth.
Green ran for Rainier’s city council in the past and said he has no regrets about not voting and he is glad he ran for office. “I can run again. The third time will be a charm,” said Green.
As is the rule, if a tie would’ve resulted in the Thurston County election, the result would have been decided by a coin toss.