Insiders expect the recount that begins tomorrow to be done before Thanksgiving. But the waiting game in the governor's race that began Nov. 2 may last well into the holiday season.
State Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt is already talking about ordering a second, hand recount of the 2.8 million votes in the race between Republican Dino Rossi and Democrat Christine Gregoire.
"A recount recount is likely," Berendt said. "It's very likely we'll get through the mechanical recount and then go right into a hand recount -- if not the whole state, at least individual counties that we think warrant a closer look."
Yesterday, election officials began preparing ballots and workers to recount results by machine across Washington. When counties certified their results with the state Wednesday night, Rossi led by 261 votes, making it the tightest governor's race in state history.
Officials expect the recount to be done Wednesday. But that assumes there are no delays -- such as, say, a lawsuit.
Both political parties said that while they have no plans to file legal challenges, both added that their lawyers are ready if they change their minds.
"We're going to have observers everywhere, and we're not going to hesitate to go to court if we think there's something going wrong," said Chris Vance, chairman of the state Republican Party.
As for whether he'd demand a recount of ballots by hand, Vance said that's a matter of "crossing that bridge when we come to it."
He added: "We are prepared to do anything and everything necessary to protect our interest in this."
No matter how tight the results in the statewide machine recount, the state will not order a second recount, Secretary of State Sam Reed said.
However, either party can demand a recount so long as it is willing to pay for it. It can request new tallies on only some counties or statewide. A hand recount costs 25 cents per vote -- or $700,000 for 2.8 million ballots.
"If it ends up (with a margin of) 30 to 40 votes, then it would make a lot of sense for them to want to recount again," Reed said.
A statewide recount has never reversed the results of an election, and it's unlikely that this race would change that record, Reed said.
"The odds are very much against a change," he said. Indeed, Reed said it is more likely that the recount will produce a smaller net change than in past elections. Counties are doing a better job of preparing the ballots before counting them than in years past, he said.
King County will create bucket brigade of sorts -- with some workers feeding stacks of ballots into machines and others serving as runners, said Harry Sanders, a special-project manager for the elections department. While the details were to be hammered out in a meeting this morning, workers likely face 12-hour shifts, he said.
"These people are giving up a huge part of their lives to be there," Sanders said of the group of 130 workers, largely retirees, stay-at-home moms and temporary workers who get paid a starting salary of almost $14 an hour. They make overtime, he said, but "they're not doing it for the money. They're doing it because they're really dedicated to the effort."
"The hardship is being away from your family right before the holidays," Sanders said. "We have people that actually canceled vacations."
Both campaigns say their volunteer observers for the counts have also sacrificed time with family and vacations.
State election rules require that each campaign is allowed to have at least two observers at every county counting station.
Dan Brady, a GOP observer in King County, said he has had so many offers that he may have to turn some volunteers away. "It is incredibly gratifying," he said of the response.
"It's not exciting work, necessarily. This is a machine recount," said Brady, a 37-year-old lawyer from Wallingford. "It's kind of keeping your eyes peeled and making sure everything is going OK."
A few years ago, he said, a Republican in King County noticed that workers were about to put a stack of ballots through the machine a second time, Brady said.
"That's the kind of little thing that an observer can notice that can have tremendous impact," Brady said. "They're human beings, and things can happen, and observers can be helpful."
Sue Marett, a Democratic observer in Jefferson County, said some of her volunteers noticed a worker trying to put a city ballot through a machine meant for county ballots.
"They're just little things like that," said the 66-year-old retired administrative assistant who lives near Port Townsend. "Nothing major and earthshaking."
"I'm looking forward to it being over," she added. "I haven't been home a whole lot, but my husband's very understanding. He goes fishing, and I go to the (county office).
"I think I have the better end of that, actually."