Vote 2006: What's Next in Montana?

Nov. 8, 2006 — -- The Democrats have won the House, but the Senate remains up for grabs as hotly contested races in Virginia and Montana are too close to call. And in Montana, election results may not come for some time because of problems with the voting equipment.

In Yellowstone County, the largest county in Montana, election officials said that they were recounting all the votes because of problems caused by unfamiliar new equipment. Democrats have to win both Virginia and Montana to gain control of the Senate. If the Republicans win Montana, then they will retain their majority in the Senate.

Here are some key questions -- and answers -- for you as we await the election results from Montana.

Why have Montana's vote results taken so long to come in compared with results from other states?

"Yellowstone County is counting their ballots again. They encountered some difficulty operating their vote-counting machine, and as a result, they are counting their ballots again," said Bowen Greenwood, press representative for Montana secretary of state's office.

This is not the same as a recount, Greenwood said. A recount is a formal term defined by law as a count that takes place after the first count has been certified. The count in Yellowstone County was never completed, let alone certified, so it's not yet time for a recount. If there is to be a recount, it would happen after the count has been certified.

What triggers a recount?

What are the actual steps of an election?