Franken Is Ahead as Recount For Minn. Senate Seat Ends

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 3 -- Victory in Minnesota's drawn-out Senate race moved within Democrat Al Franken's grasp Saturday when he increased his lead over Republican Norm Coleman as the statewide recount drew to a close.

The state Canvassing Board will reconvene Monday to declare which candidate received the most votes in the election. Barring court intervention, it will be Franken.

Franken's lead stands at 225 votes after Saturday's review of formerly sealed absentee ballots. The new total was reached the day that Coleman's term as senator expired.

The 933 absentee ballots were among those rejected by poll workers but later found to have been excluded in error. The campaigns eventually agreed that those ballots be added to the recount.

Unless Coleman wins a pending court petition that seeks to add hundreds more ballots to the recount, the counting is done and the Canvassing Board can sign off on the result on Monday or Tuesday. The result cannot be certified for at least a week under state law. In that time, the loser of the recount can challenge the result in court.

"We are confident, since there are no ballots left to count, the final margin will stand with Al Franken having won the election by 225 votes," Franken attorney Marc Elias said.

Senate Republican leaders have said the chamber should not seat Franken until all legal matters are settled, even if they drag on for months.