The luck of the draw had a special meaning for two candidates running for the Elk Creek Fire Protection District board of directors.

Dominique Devaney and Chuck Newby were tied with 179 votes after the May 3 election, and by a drawing, Newby won the election. He will be sworn in and begin serving his one-year term at the June 9 board meeting.

The process at the May 16 gathering at Elk Creek fire station 1 took a few seconds. Steve Beck, the district’s designated election official, had two pieces of equal-sized paper, each with the name of a candidate. The pieces of paper were folded once and put into a vintage firefighter helmet.

Beck mixed up the paper, and Miranda Tucker, who served on the fire district’s Canvass Committee, drew the winner’s name.

Beck said the fire district did not receive any ballots from military members serving overseas, which could have changed the vote totals and broken the tie. That triggered the name drawing to determine the winner.

Incumbents Greg Pixley and Melissa Baker also were re-elected to the board.

Newby said after his name was pulled out of the helmet that he felt the election was hard-fought and fair.

"I'm anxious to get to work for the people," he said.