Drawing cards is a game people play when they are kids. But, recently, a Livingston County town had to cut cards to select a new Town Council member.

"On Election Day, we had a tie for the second position for the Town Council position in West Sparta," explained Susan Guenther, Board of Elections commissioner. Democrat Dominic Cosimano and Republican Robert Schramm each received 134 votes.

As a result, for the first time in nearly 30 years, the Board of Elections turned to a deck of cards to decide the winner. Guenther and fellow commissioner Gerald Smith haven't had to make this move since they took office.

"We got new decks of cards," Guenther said. "(We) went through the whole thing, unsealed them and cut cards to select the winner."

"Whoever got the highest number," Smith added.

Cosimano was unable to attend the draw, so he asked Guenther, the Democratic commissioner, to draw his card. The payoff would come at West Sparta's Town Hall, perhaps a tough bet to make against Republican incumbent Robert Schramm.

"I told them it's just like gambling," said Schramm. "I'm a good gambler."

Schramm and Guenther drew their cards, and just when it looked like it couldn't happen again, it did.

"They were tied again with two 9's of diamonds," Smith said.

So, as the old saying goes, "third time's a charm." Schramm would win the draw with another nine.

"A nine of spades," Schramm said. "So nine's my lucky number for the day."

"It's a hard way to lose, by the cut of the cards," Guenther said, after the draw.

The Livingston County Board of Elections said drawing cards is the procedure usually used to break an election tie there.

Municipalities in Monroe County also use that option when necessary.