On Saturday afternoon, Wall Street Journal reporter Reid Epstein tweeted a photo of Pahrump precinct chair Peggy Rhoads using playing cards to break a tie between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders during the Nevada caucus.
Pahrump precinct chair Peggy Rhoads with the cards drawn in tied Precinct 10. Hillary's ace beat Bernie's six.
As the photo started getting shared on Twitter, it caused a mix of disbelief and embarrassment that the Nevada caucus actually uses playing cards as a tiebreaker.
Caucuses are so stupid https://t.co/yQ4os7GjT2
Hot take: this is not a good system. https://t.co/t1nePvQksB
If we're gonna pick presidents like this the World Cup Octopus might as well be doing it https://t.co/h1jdHzMFY0
A system to select the next leader of the free world-- https://t.co/M7A6Oh6Bx2
Hillary's Charizard beats Sander's 6 of hearts! Delegate goes to Hillary. ALways fun 2 Watch democracy in action!
The reactions were similar to those when a coin toss was used as a tiebreaker at the Iowa caucus earlier this month.
imho if a precinct is tied both candidates should have to pick a champion and the champions should fight to the deat https://t.co/1ChXByw49n
This is how we pick the people running for President in a superpower https://t.co/U56jRokkld
Honestly cannot believe that this is a real thing people do to decide election outcomes. For President. Of America. https://t.co/dnHV71t76B
oh ffs https://t.co/ruWN8uAWER
"you won...OR DID YOU"
According to the Nevada State Democratic Party, the high card determines the winner:
In the rare circumstances where two or more presidential preference groups are tied for the loss or gain of a precinct-level delegate and have the same lowest or highest decimal, groups must draw a single card from a deck of cards to break the tie. High card determines winner.
Also, based on Epstein's photo, aces are high, apparently.
Aces are high, as stipulated in the US Constitution. https://t.co/JA8Ywbzhgv