ST. PAUL — A Minnesota judge has ruled that election officials must randomly cancel 35 ballots in a tight legislative race due to a counting error.

The action has ramifications for the unresolved contest between Republican Rep. Mary Franson and Democratic challenger Bob Cunniff. Franson is ahead by a single vote pending a probable recount.

A Douglas County judge sided Tuesday with Franson and ordered that the county canvassing board remove the ballots before a tally was certified on Wednesday.

Some voters received the wrong ballots on Election Day at a shared polling place for voters from two different legislative districts. State law calls for the random extraction to remove excess votes.