Wall Street spent yesterday wondering how to turn the unresolved US presidential election to its advantage, but stocks ended a choppy session mostly lower amid the continuing political uncertainty.

With the election outcome hinging on a vote recount in Florida, investors returned to their recent trading pattern, focusing on and selling high-tech issues.

The tech-dominated Nasdaq composite index closed down 184.09 at 3,231.70.

The Dow Jones industrial average, unable to hold its gains, fell 45.12 to 10,907.06 after briefly hitting 11,000 earlier. The broader Standard and Poor's 500 index fell 22.59 to 1,409.28.

Investors who have been trading carefully since Friday in anticipation of Election Day were not sure where to invest given the undecided presidency.