Crosslake Deputy Clerk Char Nelson, an election judge, sorted through ballots during a recount for U.S. Senate and Minnesota House of Repressentatives. Photo by Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch

Coleman picked up an additional two votes in Crow Wing after the recount in which five ballots were determined not to be for Coleman, but seven were determined not to be for Franken, giving Coleman a net gain of two additional votes.

Coleman is still challenging 12 ballots in the Crow Wing count, however, and the Franken team is challenging 10. A total of 35,275 votes were cast in Crow Wing County. Of that number, 6,159 ballots were cast for neither Coleman nor Franken.

Stella Hegg, Crow Wing County deputy auditor for elections, said the 22 ballots challenged by the two candidates will be sent on to the Secretary of State, where a final decision will be made on each of them.

Hegg said the county allowed two representatives from each campaign to be on hand to observe the recount at each recount station, although only one of them was allowed to issue ballot challenges.

A "roving" observer was also on hand for each candidate to observe the recount process at all stations.

In Cass County, Franken picked up six votes after the recount when three ballots were determined to be not for Coleman, and three more were determined to be for Franken.

Three ballots are being challenged by Coleman in Cass, and Franken is challenging five for a total of eight, which are being passed on to the Secretary of State for a final decision.

Cass County Auditor Sharon Anderson said the recount remained civil at all times, but as the counting wore on, representatives from each side seemed to grow antsy, which prompted them to start issuing challenges.

"By late afternoon it was like you had five poker tables going," said Anderson. "And I think after a few hours when each side began to realize that no real changes were happening, they started stepping up with challenges, just because I think they felt they had to."