Both men died during the filing period and their names couldn't be removed from ballots

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Two leading candidates are causing a conundrum in local elections in Washington state for winning their respective elections despite the fact that both are dead.

In the Seattle suburb of Des Moines, John Rosentangle won 71 percent of the vote in a commissioner’s race in King County, while in the city of Aberdeen, on the coast, John Erak is leading a city council race with 53 percent of the vote. According to AP, both men died after the filing period closed and their names could not be removed from the ballots.

If Rosentangle wins, the other King County Water District members will appoint a successor, and if Erak is declared the winner in his race, the city council will vote on another candidate to take the seat.

[AP]