Ballot-counters press on, find glitches

November 23, 2008

By KEVIN DUCHSCHERE and LARRY OAKES, Star Tribune

Minnesota's U.S. Senate recount didn't take time off Saturday, as tabulators and observers turned out at a handful of centers around the state to whittle the stacks of ballots.

By late Saturday, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman had bolstered his lead over DFLer Al Franken. With 68 percent of 2.9 million ballots counted, Coleman's narrow margin grew to 180 votes, a 50 percent jump on his 120-vote lead Friday. Some of that may be attributed to the increased number of Franken ballots challenged by Coleman's campaign, which removes those ballots from the count.

The figures represent a compilation of recount data reported to the secretary of state and gathered by the Star Tribune.

Election night mistakes in Duluth precincts continued to slow the St. Louis County recount. Election officials in the sprawling county had hoped to be done Monday, but that began to look doubtful Saturday.

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