Rock the Vote Rebus Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mayor

CLUE ANSWERS: Mae + Yore

November 17, 2003: The mayoral election for the city of Washington Terrace, Utah resulted in a 724 - 724 tie between incumbent Mayor Mark Allen and his challenger Robert Garside. In this situation, state law required that the election be decided "by drawing lots."

It was decided the candidates would each roll two dice at the same time at City Hall on November 17. Highest number would be the winner. If they rolled the same number, roll again.

Mayor Allen rolled a four and a one - beating Garside's roll of a pair of twos.

Answer: Congressman

CLUE ANSWERS: Kong + Res (Publica) + Man (Isle of)

In the closest U.S. House race of 2006, Democrat Joe Courtney unseated three-term Republican incumbent Rob Simmons by 83 votes (121,248 to 121,165) in Connecticut's Second Congressional District.

Answer: President

CLUE ANSWERS: Press + Id + Dent

In 2000, Republican George W. Bush won 537 more votes than Democrat Al Gore in the State of Florida: Bush (2,912,790) to Gore (2,912,253). A total of 5,962,657 votes were cast for all candidates.

As a consequence, Bush won Florida's 25 electoral votes and the election for President in 2000.

Answer: School Board Member

CLUE ANSWERS: School + Bored + Meme + -ber

October 27, 2006. A deceased Alaskan woman won re-election to a school board after her opponent Donna Highstone lost a coin toss. Katherine Dunton, who died of cancer on election day, was re-elected to the Aleutian Region School District board. Both candidates were tied with 19 votes apiece.

Since Dunton could not call the toss, Donna Highstone called "heads" on a coin that landed "tails." The School District board appointed someone to fill the vacancy left by the death of its new member Dunton.

Answer: Governor

CLUE ANSWERS: Guff + Verne + Nor

In the 2004 gubernatorial election of Washington State, Christine Gregoire (1,373,361) was declared the winner over Dino Rossi (1,373,228) from among 2,805,913 votes cast statewide. Gregoire won by 129 votes.

Answer: Councilman

CLUE ANSWERS: Cow + Un + Sill + Man

November 12, 2004: G.P. Sloan, 77, and Richard Flynn, 75, each received 689 votes in the Nov. 2 election. Two recounts didn't determine a winner, so the candidates met Friday November 12 in the community center in Groveland, Florida to toss a coin and determine the winner. Sloan won the toss.

Answer: Commissioner

CLUE ANSWERS: Comb + Mission + Ear

March 27, 2008: Former Ohio York Township Trustee Jim Pancake tossed a coin with union leader Charlie Adkins to determine the Democratic nominee for a seat on the Athens Ohio County Commission. Both men ended up with 2,854 votes. James Pancake was declared the winner after the toss of the coin.

And again.

May 29, 2008: Gregory A Shenton and Mac Wagoner ran against each other for the Clark County Idaho Commisioner's chair. The candidates tied at 1130 votes apiece. The election was decided by a coin toss. Since Shenton was the incumbent, he got to call the toss. He called "heads" and won.

Answer: Senator

CLUE ANSWERS: Sen + Gnat + Tore

September 16, 1975: The closest election in Senate history was decided on this day. The 1974 New Hampshire race for an open seat pitted Republican Louis Wyman against Democrat John Durkin. On election day, Wyman barely won with a margin of just 355 votes.

Durkin immediately demanded a recount. That recount shifted the victory to Durkin-but by only 10 votes. Now, it was Wyman's turn to demand a recount. The state ballot commission tabulated the ballots in dispute and ruled that Republican Wyman had won-but by just two votes.

As a last option, Durkin petitioned the Senate-with its 60-vote Democratic majority-to review the case. The full Senate took up the case on January 14, with Wyman and Durkin seated at separate tables at the rear of the chamber. Soon, the matter returned to the Rules Committee, which created a special staff panel to examine 3,500 questionable ballots that had been shipped to Washington.

Following this review, the Rules Committee sent 35 disputed points to the full Senate, which spent the next six weeks debating the issue and took an unprecedented six cloture votes, but resolved only one of the 35 points in dispute. Facing this deadlock, Durkin agreed to Wyman's proposal for a new election. The Senate declared the seat vacant and the governor appointed former Senator Norris Cotton to hold the seat for six weeks until the September 16 balloting.

A record-breaking turnout gave the election to Durkin by a 27,000-vote margin.

Answer: Alderman

CLUE ANSWERS: Awl + Derm + Mann

Did you know that there is a greater possibility of elections decided by chance (such as the draw of a name or the flip of a coin) when voter turnout is low?

February 18 1999: In the Milwaukee 6th District primary for alderman the vote ended with incumbent Greg Myers in the lead. However, challengers Kimberly McCulloch and Judy Weiss were tied at 33 votes each. McCulloch was drawn by lot to advance to the general election against Myers.

Answer: Sheriff

CLUE ANSWERS: Share + Riff

July 29, 2008: Proof that every vote counts? An Oklahoma manual recount showed Blaine County Sheriff Ricky Ainsworth and Watonga police officer Tony Almaguer in a 451-to-451 tie after the July 29 primary when a single uncounted vote was discovered. Special Judge Paul Woodward subsequently pulled Ainsworth's name from a hopper as the Republican nominee for the general election.

At the time of voting, an unnamed woman insisted to precinct officials that she had registered in time to cast her vote. The officials placed her provisional ballot in an envelope, but it wasn't counted until the county Election Board Secretary verified that the woman had registered in time - causing the tie vote.

Ainsworth commented that without the woman's vote he would have automatically lost the nomination.