They were worried. The federal election battles in Florida and Ohio in 2000 and 2004 had done considerable damage to the reputation of election officials and the public's trust in the validity of our elections. There was a sense of hope that the recount in Minnesota could begin to repair some of that damage and restore faith in our electoral institutions. I believe Minnesota has set a new standard of excellence not only in how we administer elections, but also in how we conduct fair and transparent recounts. I am not alone in that belief.
 
Much of the credit for the success of the recount goes to the Minnesota lawmakers and elected officials who crafted our elections system and recount procedures. We vote on paper ballots that can be easily recounted by hand. We conduct recounts in full public view with participation from the political parties. We trust our local election officials to carry out the actual counting of ballots. We appoint a State Canvassing Board to preside over the recount and to review any challenged ballots. We allow candidates to contest the results of a recount if they feel they have not been fairly served by the process.