In the race for an open Donegal Township supervisor position, Dalton Geibel surpassed Michael Haid by one vote on Election Day, according to unofficial results.

With provisional ballots still to be counted, the possibility of a tie remains.

Geibel won the supervisor position with 230 total votes, while Haid received 229, according to unofficial results.

According to Wil White, solicitor for the Butler County Bureau of Elections, a single provisional ballot was cast in the township. He said the county has seen ties occur in recent years and has had to enact protocol to break them — a process called “the casting of lots.”

During the ritual, the two candidates or their representatives will appear at the bureau, flip a coin and reach into a bag with two marbles. The candidate who picks the marble with a number one is declared the official winner, so breaking the tie.

“It's kind of scary to think the candidates put all that time and effort into an election, all for it to come down to a game of chance,” White said.

According to White, the Department of State dictates whether a recount will be issued, since results were so close. The county itself could request a recount if it felt the outcome was unusual.

Geibel said he knew it would be a close race.

“I figured it'd be close, but I never guessed by one vote,” Geibel said. “I'd like to thank the people who took the time to come out and support me.”

Geibel said he's not sure whether to expect a tie when provisional ballots are counted.

“I guess we'll have to see what happens,” Geibel said. “There's not much else you can do.”

The Eagle reached out by phone to Haid, but he was unavailable for comment.