A republican candidate for state office in Governor George W. Bush's home state of Texas has won a hand recount of punchcard ballots similar to those at the centre of the presidential recount battle in Florida.
While Republicans criticise Democrats for seeking manual recounts in Florida, the losing Republican candidate for the Texas state house 5th District asked for a recount. Of the three East Texas counties, the largest, Smith County, uses punchcard ballots, the county clerk's office said. Van Zandt and Upshur counties use paper ballots which voters mark with a pen.
Punch card ballots are in dispute in Florida, where the national race between Mr Bush and Mr Al Gore hangs in the balance. Democrats have requested that ballots be recounted by hand in some Florida counties while Republicans argue a hand recount is prone to human error or manipulation.
Texas House District 5 candidate, Mr Bill Hollowell, asked the secretary of state's office for a recount after losing last week's election to Democratic incumbent Mr Bob Glaze.
The Texas secretary of state approved the request on Monday and each county must complete the recount by next Monday, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state said. "We approved the request because the losing candidate pays for the recount and he or she may request whatever sort they want, either machine or manual," Ms Jane Dees said. She said the voting result in the 5th District fulfilled at least one of four grounds required by state law for a recount, that the margin be less than 10 per cent of the number of votes received by the winner.