Nov 5, 2008 10:54 pm US/Central
Reality Check: Past Election Recounts
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
The state of Minnesota doesn't keep official records of election recounts, but it happens all the time in local races and legislative districts.
What is rare is recounting millions of votes statewide.
"Our main concern is that it's done accurately and with transparency," said Minnesota's Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (D).
IT'S TRUE,
Minnesota law automatically triggers a recount when the vote margin is less than half of 1 percent.
That's what happened in this
Senate race. All through Election night, the vote went back and forth between Franken and Coleman.
But that's NOT THE WHOLE STORY. In 1962, Minnesota Democrat
Karl Rolvaag waited five months for a recount to declare him the winner in the governor's race. Out of nearly 1.3 million votes cast, Rolvaag defeated Republican Elmer L. Anderson by only 91 votes.
And even in modern day campaigns, it's not unheard of for elections to be overturned by a recount. IN FACT, it happened in the
Washington gubernatorial race in 2004.
In that race, 2.9 million votes were cast, just like in Minnesota's Coleman-Franken race. The Republican won the governor's race by 261 votes until a recount changed it. Democrat Christine Gregorie won the governor's office by just 45 votes four years ago. She was re-elected to a second term last night.
That's Reality Check.
To check the resources for this Reality Check click on the links below.Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statues: 2008 Minnesota StatutesSecretary Of State 2008 Election ReturnsMinnesota Historical Society: Gov. Karl RolvaagNew York Times: Governor-Elect Declared in Washington Recounts 
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