Expect a winner soon in Minn. race

Franken has gained ground.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — This coming week, Minnesota’s Canvassing Board will declare what everyone’s been waiting for in the state’s prolonged U.S. Senate race: A winner.

Well, sort of.

Once it rewards a last batch of votes from more than 950 improperly rejected absentee ballots, the Canvassing Board is expected to declare either Democrat Al Franken or Republican Norm Coleman as winner of the recount. But Minnesota law lets the losing candidate file an “election contest” that would throw the whole race into the courts, effectively blocking final certification of a new senator.

“I’d say it’s close to inevitable” that the losing candidate will sue, said Edward Foley, an election law expert at Ohio State University who has closely monitored the Minnesota recount.

Coleman’s term as senator officially expired Saturday. Meanwhile, Franken pushed his lead in the recount above 220 as state and campaign officials counted the absentee ballots Saturday.