Minnesota voters will not know who won the state's U.S. Senate race this year, and it appears likely that the new U.S. Congress will take office before the Minnesota race ends between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken. The state election board on Tuesday scheduled a January 5 meeting and said its work could continue into January 6, the day the next U.S. Congress convenes in Washington. A draft report by state officials has Franken leading Coleman by 48 votes. But Coleman's campaign is disputing the allocation of some challenged ballots, which would add up to a 49-vote lead by Coleman. Franken's campaign also has pointed to some potential errors.
