S . ▁Senate ▁election ▁in ▁Minnesota , ▁the ▁home ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁Up Take . ▁The ▁Up Take ▁provided ▁full ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁rec ount ▁process , ▁winning ▁acc ol ades ▁and ▁cit ations ▁from ▁fellow ▁news ▁blog s ▁Five Th irty E ight . com ▁and ▁Minn Post . com ▁and ▁local ▁Minnesota ▁news ▁out lets ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Minnesota ▁Independent . ▁On ▁January ▁ 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁final ▁batch ▁of ▁abs ente e ▁ball ots ▁in ▁the ▁rec ount ▁were ▁opened , ▁checked , ▁sorted , ▁and ▁counted , ▁The ▁Up Take ▁broadcast ▁the ▁entire ▁process ▁live ▁via ▁streaming ▁video ▁on ▁The Up Take . org . ▁Its ▁initial ▁count ▁for ▁Minnesota ▁Democratic - F ar mer - L abor ▁Party ▁candidate ▁Al ▁Fran ken ' s ▁lead ▁after ▁the ▁abs ente e ▁ball ots ▁were ▁sorted ▁al oud ▁was ▁ 2 2 3 ; ▁the ▁number ▁appeared ▁on ▁breaking ▁reports ▁on ▁other ▁websites , ▁including ▁Five Th irty E ight . com , ▁until ▁an ▁election ▁official ▁announced ▁that ▁Fran ken ' s ▁uno fficial ▁lead ▁was ▁actually ▁ 2 2 5 . ▁ ▁Rec ogn ition ▁ ▁The ▁Center ▁for ▁Public ▁Integr ity ▁listed ▁the ▁Up Take ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁" Top ▁Ten ▁Web sites ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 8 ". ▁In ▁a ▁tongue - in - che ek ▁reference ▁to ▁an ▁inf am ous ▁ball ot ▁challenge ▁by ▁Republican ▁candidate ▁Norm ▁Cole man ' s ▁campaign , ▁the ▁list