An election in Virginia is set to be decided by drawing names out of a bowl or a hat, after two candidates drew the same number of votes.

A controversial recount in the state’s 94th district found that Democrat Shelly Simonds and incumbent Republican David Yancey tied in a house of delegates election on 7 November. Under Virginia law, the winner will now be “determined by lot”. The law does not, however, specify how that process should take place.

The chairman of Virginia’s board of elections, James Alcorn, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch it was rare for a state election to be determined by drawing names out of a glass bowl or tricorn hat, although it happens more regularly at a local level.

“In those situations, the electoral board typically draws names out of a hat,” Alcorn said. “I believe one locality uses an old-fashioned tricorn hat for these occasions.

“The state board typically draws names out of a glass bowl when we’re picking the order of candidates for the ballot.”

The Associated Press reported that the board may use a tricorn hat on this occasion, although the Washington Post said the names could be drawn from Alcorn’s own bowler hat.

The Virginia board of elections did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s questions about the glass bowl, tricorn hat and bowler.

Yancey was first declared the winner of the election, before on Tuesday a recount found Simonds had won by one vote. On Wednesday, a panel of three judges decided that a ballot which had marks against both candidates’ names was actually a vote for Yancey. The mark against Simonds’ name had a light cross through it.

The Times-Dispatch reported that an election to the Virginia house of delegates was decided by drawing names in 1971. On that occasion the elections board chairman wore a red, white and blue handkerchief, according to the Times-Dispatch, and drew an envelope from a “gallon-size cup”.

In local elections, the process of choosing candidates by chance is relatively common. Tied results can be drawn by coin toss, drawing straws or any method that produces a random result.

In 2014 a city council election in Neptune Beach, Florida, was decided by drawing ping-pong balls from a bag. Richard Arthur took his place on the council after drawing a higher-numbered ball than his opponent Rory Diamond.

Two Nevada elections – one for a seat on a county commission, the other a city council primary – have been decided by drawing playing cards, the highest card winning. A 2014 study by the Washington Post found that 35 states have some procedure for selecting candidates by chance.