ARDMORE, Okla. (KTEN) — The Republican primary election for Carter County sheriff, which ended in a tie vote, was decided by a random drawing last Friday.

Now, state Rep. Tammy Townley (R-District 48) is planning to introduce a bill that would bring deadlocked elections back to the people.

Oklahoma law states that any election between two candidates that remains tied after a recount must be decided by random drawing.

That's what happened in the Carter County sheriff election, each candidate ended the race with exactly 2,569 votes.

After a recount, DJ Long's name, written on a folded piece of paper, was drawn from a bucket as the winning candidate.

"In Carter County, we have a runoff election for our county commissioners," Townley said. "This could have simply been put on the same ballot... how easy would that have been? It could have gone to a ballot on the general election, which is in November, but it should never have gone to a game of chance."

Townley, like many voters who talked with KTEN, believes that the election process could be improved. She sent a proposal to bill-writers on June 19 to amend the current law so that voters will have the final say.

"Since I've been a voter, I... in my history, I never, ever remember anything being drawn out of a hat," she said. "This is an old, old law that has been on the book for decades and decades, and it's just time to have it updated."

Townley plans to have a bill ready to go to committee in February.