Drawing lots (decision making)

In the United Kingdom, drawing lots can be used to decide on the allocation of school places where other criteria result in a tie.

[1] The group leader takes a number of straws (or similarly long cylindrical objects) and ensures that one of them is physically shorter than the others.

Straws can also be cut diagonally so no two are the same length when multiple lots are to be chosen with a single draw to determine something like playing order, which participants will be teamed up, etc.

[2] In the United Kingdom, if a local or national election has resulted in a tie in which candidates receive exactly the same number of votes after three recounts, the winner must be decided by random selection.

Liberal Democrat candidate Lesley Rickerby was declared the winner, denying Conservatives overall control of Northumberland County Council.