Oregon Public Broadcasting

An election that’s too-close-to-call. A hand recount. And a flurry of lawsuits.

Sound familiar? Four years ago it happened in Washington State.

This year it’s happening in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race. Now veterans from Washington’s 2004 gubernatorial contest are lending a hand with Minnesota’s 2008 Senate recount. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.

Democratic operatives from Washington State are making a temporary home in Minnesota.

Their expertise is needed to help oversee the hand recount that’s about to begin in the Senate race between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and comedian turned politician Al Franken, a Democrat.

Currently only about 200 votes separate the candidates – reminiscent of 133 vote margin in Washington’s 2004 governor’s race.

Former Washington Democratic Party Chair Paul Berendt spoke by cell phone outside a ballot processing warehouse in Minneapolis.

Paul Berendt: “What I bring to this effort is that I understand every single step of this recount  process and the things that you need to look for in order to make sure that every vote is counted.”

Also in Minnesota is one of the key Democratic attorneys from the 2004 governor’s contest.