His opposition alliance won the popular vote, securing 50% of the ballot by pledging to remove race-based quotas for the majority but poorer ethnic-Malay community in this mostly Muslim country of 28 million.

WSJ: Personal Feud Powers Malaysian Tensions

Jennifer Krell Davis, communication director for the department, predicted that roughly an equal number of Florida voters would vote by absentee ballot.

CNN: Early voting reaching record numbers, election officials say

According to a report on contingent elections by the Congressional Research Service, the procedures undertaken for that 1825 vote -- the House met in closed session without reporters, for instance, and voted anonymously by paper ballot -- would be "precedential, but not binding" for similar elections in the future.

CNN: Electoral College tie possible in Obama-Romney race