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The Chisago County Minnesota Senate Race Recount was accomplished in two working days, and results submitted to the Secretary of State's office well ahead of the December 5 deadline that's been imposed on counties.

County Auditor Dennis Freed said five ballots for Franken and five for Coleman are "challenged" and will be forwarded to the state panel. In the ballot count announced earlier Coleman had a win of thousands over Franken in Chisago County so the challenged ballots won't affect the outcome here.

Freed added that this full precinct recount was a first in his tenure. He's had recounts in commissioner district races, done a portion of a congressional district recount-- but not a full countywide recount before. Two precincts where "missing" paper ballots found left inside voting machines, but in both cases the needed number of ballots matched the unaccounted for number. In one precinct 100-plus paper ballots were located in a machine and another had mislaid 14. In the end, though, all electronic counted votes and ballot-marked votes "balanced out," Freed added. It is the state's duty to handle those ballots which counters and observers decided were unclear.

"I can't say enough good things about those who came to view the process, the counters and everybody who helped," Freed stated.

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