Court action ahead?
As Franken holds a small unofficial lead, and as the Coleman campaign has endured several administrative and legal setbacks, the likelihood has increased that the recount will spill over into a full-blown "election contest," a post-recount court challenge.
When the Canvassing Board certifies the vote totals and identifies a winner, either candidate will have seven days to challenge the board's conclusion.
How soon the board gets to that point can't yet be determined. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, chairman of the five-member panel, said it could finish its work by Jan. 6, but he has emphasized that the board's actions are not being driven by events in Washington.
Nor are there any road maps to how long it might take to seat a winner. After a U.S. Senate election 34 years ago in New Hampshire, the winner was not determined until 10 months later -- and only after a second election was held. In Minnesota's famous 1962 gubernatorial race, Gov. Elmer L. Andersen held a small lead in the initial results but lost the recount by 91 votes and resigned from office four months after the November election.
Vacancy impact
Klobuchar said that having only one senator for a matter of weeks would not be a major inconvenience. The problem would become more acute after three weeks or more, she said, or should an issue particular to Minnesota need action, such as the 2008 effort to secure federal money for security for this year's Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
Others, however, say that having two senators in place from the start would be important to Minnesota.