Sen. Norm Coleman's leads Democratic challenger Al Franken by just 174 votes after the first day of recounting ballots, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Both campaigns dispatched teams of recount monitors, who challenged a total of 269 votes yesterday.

But the day was not without its drama.

In Ramsey County, just hours into the recount, the Franken campaign claimed its first solid legal victory -- a court order that required the county to turn over the names of absentee voters whose ballots were rejected.

The Franken campaign has made the rejected absentee ballots a major element in its strategy for victory. Franken attorneys are pushing the state Canvassing Board to include unlawfully rejected ballots in the total recount. Most counties have refused to release the names, but Marc Elias, Franken's lead recount attorney, said the Ramsey County decision should open doors across the state.

So how long will this take? When will we know who is the next senator from Minnesota?

Recount officials will take up their task again today and every day until the votes are tabulated, with a full report expected by Dec. 5. The Canvassing Board is expected to make a decision on rejected absentee ballots early next week and rule on challenged ballots starting Dec. 16. While a court challenge could delay results further, Ritchie said he hopes to have an actual winner declared before the end of the year.