9 Lessons for the Inevitable Recount

With at least six Senate races too close to call, and even more in the House, at least one recount is inevitable this Election Day. In the Washington Post, Jay Weiner offers up nine lessons from the high-profile recounts of 2000 (Bush-Gore) and 2008 (Franken-Coleman):

• Lawyer up—yesterday: Al Franken had a lawyer working on recount plans a month before the election. His trial lawyer also started preparing for legal proceedings months before Coleman’s—and Franken won the trial.
• Set money aside: Coleman and Franken likely spent a combined $20 million; for Bush and Gore, the total was $17 million. Know how you’re going to pay—in advance.

• Prepare your new slogan: If you’re behind after election night, it’s “Let’s make every vote count.” If you’re ahead, it’s “It’s time to come together.”
• Look for irregularities: Use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or any other means at your disposal to ask supporters to report misdeeds by the other side.
• Act like you’re still campaigning: “Don’t look pushy. Don’t act desperate. Let your campaign and lawyers do the dirty work.”

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