Franken v. Coleman down to the wire • Franken favored

TPM is reporting that ongoing counting now has Franken down by only 5 votes, with expectation that if this trend isn't reversed, he will pull ahead in counting tomorrow and likely win. Of course, there will probably be litigation afterwards, but if the Elections Canvassing Board declares Franken the winner, as now, for the first time, seems likely, the Senate will seat him. I'm not sure about the historical precedents, but I gather that once that happens, it's extremely likely that whoever is seated by the Senate will serve out the term.

Update: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune now (12/19 11:00 PST) has Franken ahead by 188 266, and projects he will remain ahead, by 78 75, when all challenges are resolved.

If this proves true, or even if Coleman pulls it out, it will be remarkable that a Senate election where nearly four million votes were cast will apparently be decided by less than 100 votes.