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The State Canvassing Board began ruling Tuesday on challenged ballots in Minnesota's U.S. Senate recount.

As the board ruled on each challenge, its members voted to award the ballot to Norm Coleman, Al Franken, or an "other" category that includes other candidates as well as ballots where the voter's intent was unclear.

The numbers reported on our homepage represent MPR News' tally of ballots awarded in each of those three categories. We also show how the board's rulings affect Norm Coleman's lead -- 188 votes as the board began its work.

Together, the campaigns initially challenged 6,655 ballots. They have since withdrawn many of those challenges, and they continue to withdraw and re-instate challenges as the board works its way through the pile.

The board has awarded some of the no-longer-challenged ballots to either Coleman or Franken during the canvassing process. But it falls to the Secretary of State's office to tally up thousands of previously challenged ballots and award them to one of the candidates. When the Secretary of State's office announces the results of that process, it will have a significant effect on the tally.

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