Twitter users ridicule Democratic coin tosses in Iowa [UPDATED]
The simple flips decided which candidate would receive extra delegates in several counties in the neck-and-neck contest. Online backlash was swift and scathing.
In the GOP race, Cruz secured eight convention delegates during the caucuses, with 28 percent of the votes. Donald Trump placed second with 24 percent, netting seven delegates, and Marco Rubio grabbed 23 percent of the votes, along with seven delegates.
The Democrats’ race was much closer—about half and half. Bernie Sanders, who received 49.6 percent of the votes, declared the race “a virtual tie.” However, Hillary Clinton—who received 49.9 percent of the votes—won the remaining delegates in Iowa counties where there was a deadlock. The deciding factor: a coin toss.
The Guardian explained:
According to an obscure Democratic party rule, a coin flip can be called upon if the result is a tie. The toss was used in a handful of precincts to decide how to award the number of delegates to the county convention.
The Washington Post reported that Clinton won at least six precincts by coin tosses and said that determining a winner by such means can happen in most other states:
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