Vermont Governor Election: Legislature May Decide Race's Winner

MONTPELIER, Vt. — With a governor's race too close to call hours after the polls closed, Vermont lawmakers – not voters – could find themselves picking the winner.

With 89 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday, Democrat Peter Shumlin had 49.4 percent of the vote compared to 47.9 percent for Republican Brian Dubie.

Under the Vermont Constitution, if no gubernatorial candidate receives 50 percent of the vote plus one vote, lawmakers vote by secret ballot when they convene their new session in January.

The close race is all too familiar for Shumlin. He led in balloting in Vermont's five-way Democratic gubernatorial primary but wasn't declared the winner until after a recount.

If vote totals end up within 2 percentage points of each other, a recount could be requested.

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