Here are other hot spots in America’s national ballot bumble:
* New Mexico (5 electoral votes): Al Gore regained a razor-thin lead of 374 votes after picking up 500 votes in Dona Ana County, where officials say they misread an absentee tally as 120 instead of 620. State officials will finalize the results Nov. 28, and either side has until Dec. 4 to seek a recount.
* Iowa (7) Gore’s lead shrank by 664 votes, to 4,285, as officials began counting absentee votes and ballots that were challenged on Election Day, as well as rechecking subtotals. If he wants a recount, Bush must request it county-by-county; the deadline in some counties is tomorrow.
* Oregon (7): Gore’s lead is down to 4,765, out of nearly 1.4 million votes cast. About 23,000 of the state’s all-mail ballots are left to be counted. If Gore’s margin falls below about 2,800 votes, state law requires a recount. It would likely be held in the first week of December. The Bush camp is waiting for the final count before deciding whether to seek a recount.
* Wisconsin (11): Gore leads by 6,099 votes, out of 2.5 million cast, but this is the one state where there is a criminal investigation: of an alleged scheme to bribe the homeless with smokes. The Bush camp has left the door open to seeking a recount, but can’t request one until all 72 counties certify their tallies, due Friday. Bush would then have three business days to seek a recount.
* Washington (11): Gore won this state, but the U.S. Senate battle is still up in the air as absentee ballots get counted. Right now, Republican Sen. Slade Gorton has a lead of 12,581 votes over Democratic challenger Maria Cantwell. There are some complex scenarios in which the House and Senate together could decide the presidential race, and if Cantwell wins, the U.S. Senate will be tied at 50-50.
* New Hampshire (4): Here’s one close state where there won’t be a recount — the deadline was Monday. Bush won by 7,211 out of more than 578,000 votes.
* California (54): Gore won this one by a landslide, but there are still 660,000 absentee ballots to be counted. The deadline for reporting results is Dec. 5.
— Compiled by Deborah Orin