With polls forecasting the state’s U.S. Senate contest as the closest in the nation, Colorado voters are slowly realizing a daunting possibility.

This election – and all the partisan pummeling that has come with it – might not be decided on Election Day. The primary pugilists in the battle, though, recognized that potential long ago.

“We have a legal team that’s working on election protection and is also working on a recount plan,” state Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Waak said.

Republicans, too, are lining up lawyers and poll observers in case of an election-night nail-biter, though the state party chairman said the effort was no more robust than usual.

“We always prepare for any kind of

election irregularity or recount,” said Dick Wadhams, Colorado’s GOP chairman. “We have a legal team ready to go into action.”

The reason for all this pre-emptive positioning is obvious. With control of the U.S. Senate potentially on the line, the race between Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck is the tightest in the country, according to a survey of all recent polls by The New York Times’ FiveThirtyEight election blog.

Read more: Recount looms for Colorado officials with tight U.S. Senate race – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_16487677#ixzz143H5zZ6g