Voters in Ocala voted down a measure Tuesday that would have let a coin toss decide the outcome of close elections.



The results are now in for the municipal elections in Ocala. View the Results in our Politics section.

Around Ocala, 19 polling places were open Tuesday, staffed by nearly 100 extra employees.

The election included two City Council races, but the first choice on the ballot presented voters with an interesting dilemma: Should voters give up their right to decide certain races in the future?

The first of five Ocala Charter Amendments, entitled "Qualifications and Elections of City Officials," reads as follows:

"Pursuant to the City's Home Rule Powers granted by the Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes, and the finding by the Ocala City Council that the City's ordinances adequately govern the downtown taxing district and that, as elected officials, the City Council, not an appointed board, should have the former responsibilities of the Downtown Development Commission, shall the City Charter be amended by repealing the provisions providing for a Downtown Development Commission?"

City leaders decided to review their charter after a special election last year, when a candidate for City Council received just shy of the 50 percent plus one vote needed to secure his seat. Even though the second-place candidate agreed to step aside, city rules said they had to hold a runoff election anyway -- at a price tag of more than $50,000.

"That's why I figured it was on there," said Brenda Hayworth, an Ocala voter. "Anything to save money in this economy, I would agree with."

"The runoff election is kind of a source of controversy here," said voter Larry Sutton. "If we're flush with coffers, we should be able to do it."

The charter amendment also would have eliminated the need for another election in the rare case of a tie.

Central Floridians, especially in Marion County, may recall that the city toyed with the idea last year of having a rock-paper-scissors contest serve as tiebreaker, but decided on a simple coin toss instead.



The six pages of amendments spell out exactly how that would be conducted: The candidate who qualified first would get to call it in the air.



The city had several public meetings to try to explain the changes, but some voters said they still had trouble making heads or tails of the whole thing.



"I know I should know about it. My husband told me, but I forgot," said voter Sharon Jernigan. "He just told me what to vote for."

