After the municipal elections of 28-M, the political forces have started negotiations this week to form a government. In the towns where the parties have achieved an absolute majority, there is no choice but to agree. But not everywhere will this be the chosen way to govern. In some specific cases, everything will be decided by chance if the Central Electoral Board (JEC) does not remedy it.
This is what will happen in two towns in Catalonia after there has been a technical tie with the two forces with the most votes getting the same number of votes. These are Rasquera, in the Ribera d’Ebre, and Sant Feliu de Buixalleu, in the La Selva region.
In the latter, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and Junts per Catalunya each obtained 227 votes and the rest of the parties failed to obtain representation. Therefore, the two independence forces have three regidores and there is a fourth that dances.
The circumstance occurs that last Sunday some votes in favor of the Republicans were challenged. If the JEC accepts it, equality would be broken and the last councilor would fall into the hands of Esquerra. Otherwise, a raffle will have to be held.
In Rasquera, the tie was 132 votes between Junts and Solidaritat per la Independència, with two councilors each (32.91% of the votes). Esquerra also has two, but with a lower percentage of votes (29.42%). The last alderman is in the air. By chance it will be necessary to decide if the latter is for Junts or Solidaritat. Once assigned, negotiations will be opened to invest the next mayor.
The electoral law (Loreg) establishes in article 196 that if there is a tie, a draw must be carried out without specifying how it should be, leaving it in the hands of each municipality. There are precedents of towns that tossed coins into the air or that put papers with the names of the parties without showing them to put them in an urn.
