Ward 4 Seat A race between Grassie, Walker may be decided by bouncing ball

Chuck Grassie (Courtesy), David Walker (Voice file photo)

ROCHESTER - It'll be a bingo ball, not a coin flip, that decides a Ward 4 Seat A City Council race between two longtime Rochester political rivals.
David Walker and Chuck Grassie split Tuesday's vote: 409-409. A recount is expected to take place on Nov. 18 at the James W. Foley Community Center.
In the event that their race remains a tie, City Attorney Terence O'Rourke proposed the bingo machine option, in which 20 bingo balls will be put in the machine: 10 odd numbers and 10 even numbers.
Each candidate will then randomly be assigned either odd or even numbers, and the first ball to come out of the machine will determine who wins based on whether it is odd or even.

Ironically, Grassie defeated Walker earlier this year in a special election race for a state rep seat after the tied in a state rep race in the November 2022 election.
Two other races are subject to recount requests: the Ward 1 Seat A City Council race between Patricia Turner and Joshua Guptel. On Election Day Turner bested Guptel, 345-326.
The other potential recount would be in a Ward 6 Seat B school board race, which was won by Kelli Allen over Donna Ellis, 246-242.
Anyone seeking a recount has until Nov. 16 to contact the City Clerk.
The Rochester Voice sent City Manager Katie Ambrose and O'Rourke a request for when and where the bingo ball would drop; we have not yet heard back.