It may not be Palm Beach County circa 2000, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been following the Minnesota Senate recount, triggered when votes cast for incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R) and comedian and political rookie Al Franken (DFL) gave Coleman the victory with a margin of less than 0.5 percent. There isn't any talk of chads--hanging, dimpled, or otherwise--because Minnesota uses fill-in-the-bubble optical scan ballots. But people still managed to mangle casting their vote for their intended candidate.

A fascinating poll on MPR's news site shows off some of the challenged ballots (such as the one shown here), and with them all of the ways that it's possible to mess up filling in that little bubble. It's a cautionary tale for the S.A.T.-bound or other standardized test-takers nationwide.

Challenged Ballots [MPR, via kottke]
Patience and Politeness as Minnesota Recounts Senate Ballots
Recount Results

MPR Photo/Curtis Gilbert