Our sister site the Minnesota Independent is reporting that the Republican Party of Iowa is helping recruit volunteers to monitor the upcoming recount in the race between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman for the U.S. Senate.

“Volunteers urgently needed!” reads the heading on an email sent out by the state party yesterday. The Iowa GOP is seeking two-week commitments from individuals beginning on Monday.

The recount is slated to start on Wednesday. There are expected to be roughly 120 locations across the state where ballots will be manually inspected by local election officials to determine which candidate voters intended to support. Authorized representatives from the campaigns of Coleman and Al Franken will have the ability to challenge any decisions that they deem questionable.

Coleman’s lead over Franken has shrunk dramatically since Election Day, causing Republicans around the country to level accusations of voter fraud. They’re currently separated by 206 votes out of 2.9 million cast. Coleman’s unofficial lead amounts to .007 percent of the vote.

Now both sides are gearing up for a long, drawn out recount process that is not expected to be complete until next month.

And with the news that Democrat Mark Begich has inched ahead of Republican Ted Stevens in Alaska, and with polls showing Democrat Jim Martin within striking distance of Sen. Saxby Chambliss in their runoff campaign in Georgia, the outcome of the Coleman-Franken recount could decide if the Democrats reach the 60-vote supermajority in the U.S. Senate.