According to the Duluth News Tribune, an election worker in one precinct mistakenly typed in that Mr. Franken had gotten 27 votes.

WSJ: There's Nothing Unusual About the Minnesota Recount

They take place each year because counties are fixing small tabulation errors made when adding up precinct totals on election night, as well as mistakes made in the reporting of those totals to the secretary of state's office.

WSJ: There's Nothing Unusual About the Minnesota Recount

Data from the 2000 election shows that 85 percent of Precinct 20, which contains a majority of college students, voted for George W. Bush, while 11 percent went for former Vice President Al Gore.

CNN: Elder Bush big man on campus at Texas A&M

Landrieu becomes the first white mayor to govern the majority-African-American city in some 30 years. (His father, Moon Landrieu, was the last white mayor.) And he does it after winning all but one precinct in the primary election.

CNN: New Orleans is storming back

But first he had to make two trips to the county election board to straighten out confusion over which precinct he should vote in.

WSJ: For a Historic Election, an Enormous Turnout

Election officials post the results so anyone at the precinct can know them.

CNN: How does CNN make election projections?

In Florida, the party this week floated a plan that called for a June 3 election with mail-in ballots as well as precinct voting.

CNN: Plan: Michigan revote would be in June