Franken Inches Forward To Claiming Senate Lead

Staffers for Al Franken, who once worried that the Minnesota Democrat would fall short against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman even after a recount, now seem optimistic that their candidate will be thrust into the lead before the recount even takes place.

The Franken team had their spirits bolstered today when it was announced that the deficit they face in their still-to-be-decided election against Norm Coleman was reduced by 100 votes.

A county official in Minnesota had accidentally entered 24 votes for Franken instead of 124 when he and other election officials submitted the tally at 5:25 A.M Wednesday. And so, the Democratic challenger is now just 237 votes behind the Republican incumbent. If history is any guide, the results could keep changing even before the state gets to its automatic recount.

Currently, Minnesota's 87 counties are conducting a review of their election results. During this process, the vote totals for the two candidates have gone up and down with some regularity. While Franken picked up 100 votes in Pine County, Coleman received 11 additional votes in Sherburne. In another county, absentee ballots were mistakenly typed in twice on election night, impacting 250 votes there.

Taken as a whole, the situation is far less stable than the Coleman campaign has been claiming. And it could get even cloudier.

During the 2006 Minnesota Senate race, the vote totals for both candidates changed far more drastically than the roughly 300-vote margin that currently separates the two candidates this year. In that election, Republican Mark Kennedy lost 3,520 votes between the day after the election and the final certification. Meanwhile, Democrat Amy Klobuchar lost 666 votes. All in all, the size of her victory actually went up by 2,854 votes.

If Franken does take the lead before the recount, his campaign can point to a statement made by Coleman just the other day in which he insisted that, were he in Franken's position, he would take himself out of the race.

If I were trailing, "I would step back," said the Senator. "I just think the need for a healing process is so important [and] the possibility that any change of magnitude is so remote."

Comments

[Raggnarok]

As it apears that Coleman while trying to steal yet another election it has come to be apparent that Mr Franken is going to have a fair and represntative election. I would say that it is so close, and their are so many conflicting items in the count, the two of them should call for a new election to decide the winner. And yes if the shoe falls on the other foot would Coleman back down? I doubt it. Go Al go get it.

[MadisonMel]

Yeah, right. I'm just SURE Coleman would be "stepping back" at this point. Republicans really don't have a talent for putting themselves in someone else's position, do they?

[eagleye]

I don't understand how a candidate can "step back" as Coleman suggests. Do the participants have the ability to change the outcome of the election by withdrawing? I'm inclined to think that the votes must be counted and the winner determined.

[hypnotoad72]

When times are bad, always vote incumbents out. Cucumbers too, but sometimes I think cucumbers have an IQ higher than the incumbents...

[ccpostman]

Sounds like a LOT of lawsuits.

Coleman will not be graceful like Gore if he does not win.

[kellygrrrl]

Coleman is incapable of gracious behavior. He's the slimiest of the slime.

[Spokane]

but Franken is the slimiest of the idiots

[JayeSF]

""I just think the need for a healing process is so important ..."

we agree, normie...and we hope you will enjoy your long, long healing process once it's confirmed the voters of Minnesota have retired you....

And wherever you end up retiring to....don't forget to send us a postcard, once in a while....

[kellygrrrl]

he should also enjoy the RectalExam the IRS is about to give him

[shel3364]

something amusing...

I was watching 3rd Rock from the Sun episodes today and came across one with Al Franken as a politician running for re-election.
The commentary on elections was hysterical, considering how things went this year.

[greenskeeper]

JulieSA..... Please put a sock in it. Let the process play out and quit your griping. Minnesota knows how to handle the recount.You sound like another bitter republican that is in shock that another election wasn't stolen in your favor. I held my nose when i voted for Franken cause his whole campaign was negative, but Coleman sat on his thumbs on the oversight committee and wouldn't lift ONE finger while Halliburton robbed us blind. If he had been a great Senator for Minnesota this wouldn't have been even close. Poor Paul Wellstone.

[JayeSF]

Good reply. There's nothing to gripe about. The law is clear...and this vote tally is too absurdly close not to recount.

That coleman suggests otherwise is just...a joke.

Why would normie, who reputedly held a job as a lawmaker.... NOT want the law to be followed in this instance....I wonder...?

[Spokane]

You are right with the vote this close you should be able to grease some pockets sand let Franken win No ?

[junebuginFL]

So true, scares me to see Grayson (in FL) and Franken win, but being a republican, they had their chance and didnt do their job, the beauty of our democratic process. Its all cycles, the same will be true if dems dont do their job in 2, 4, 6, 8 yrs. Just pray for them all, we cant be fighting over this stuff, we need to get some things done already.

[Vurt]

update: The minnesota sec state webiste has the total vote lead by coleman at 221. as of 8pm friday 8th.

[harhar2]

Coleman's people are using a lot of cheap theatrical tactics trying to stop this re count but justice will prevail. Hopefully it will prevail in Franken's favor. Go Al!

[Bruupo]

This isn't the recount yet, this is just the final, certified count.

The recount won't start until the middle of the month.

[JulieSA]

100 votes were "found", and all 100 were for Franken and Obama. Most of the other "found" votes are also for Franken.

This is statistically almost impossible. The Dems are stealing the election, and they're not even trying to hide it.

Franken will be the new senator.

[vjthedj]

There is nothing to hide, except votes for Franken according to Coleman. It is the LAW for mandatory recounts less than 1%. The difference in this race is less than .01%. Your just another republican squealing because you lost. The 100 votes were not tabulated. This was according to the election official who admitted he put down 24 instead of 124. Big difference a "1"can do to voting.

[notb observer]

Hahahaa ! What do you know of statistics ?

This definitely sounds like a multivariate problem, so please post your model here so we can see how you calculated this impossibility.

What is even less possible Julie is that there were not thousands of documented cases of voter fraud perpetrated by the Republicans in many states this year. Many of the people who were disenfranchised were the very same brave ACTIVE DUTY soldiers you and your party love to pander to in terms of patriotism and duty and honor, but you don't think twice about challenging their votes when you think they might be Democrats.

And don't even think of bringing up ACORN. That was not voter fraud, but the media never followed up on this story to explain that ACORN was submitting all its registrations as it was required to by law.

So lets hope that Franken wins this thing, even by 1 vote. Then we can rub your nose in it just like no compromise Bush "I'm the decider" did to the entire country for the past 8 years.

[JulieSA]

McCain filed a lawsuit to get absentee ballots from soldiers counted. It's Dems who try to suppress the military vote--always.

[cfreedom]

The votes weren't found and you don't know a thing about this instance, it's evident. What, you can't take a minute to read the story about the 100 votes before you go public with your baseless accusations? Grow up and quit being such a crybaby. Such a typical red Repub.

[amygdaloidal]

Yes, it sounds fishy, but what sounds fishy to me is that officials are "finding" votes that should not be "lost". The fact they these votes are real and accurate accounts of physical votes seems to point toward vote suppression. If Franken is stealing votes as you say, it would be one complicated thing to "make up" actual votes which public officials can easily investigate authenticity. Do you have a coherent argument that makes sense regarding your claim?

[junebuginFL]

I dont think amy read it either...but Julie, you made your bed, and now your getting hammered for it.

[bliss0027]

found? read the article sweetheart then come talk with the adults

[ThePublicRecord]

http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/474-e-voting-machines-used-in-disputed-franken-coleman-race-failed-tests.html

E-Voting Machines Used in Disputed Franken, Coleman Race Failed Tests

Electronic voting machines that a Michigan election official said last week incorrectly tabulated vote counts during pre-election tests in the state were used in Minnesota where the senate race between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken is in dispute.

According to an Oct. 24 letter sent to the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC), Ruth Johnson, the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds, warned that tabulating software in Election Systems & Software M-100 optical scan voting machines recorded “conflicting” vote counts during testing in her state.

[jackinhack]

Living in and Being a citizen of MN, I have to say - everyone calm down. We aren't and never have been a state that works to make it hard on the voter and has problems with our voting process. We value everyone's vote.

We vote by paper ballots that are then scanned for counting by mackine. The actual paper ballot is safely saved and when we have an election this close, the recount is automatic. Right now we are addressing math problems. When we get into the recount, regardless of how the voter marked the ballot and/or missed the fill in the oval the vote is counted is there is a clear indication of the choice ie; a check or x outside the box. We will also catch any votes where the machine missed counting because the mark was too light or whatever. Irregardless of Norm Coleman the recount will go forward and it will be nothing like Florida, Ohio or other states with problems in the past.

I believe the winner will be Franken when all is said and done, but in any event I am confident that every vote will be counted correctly.

[JulieSA]

Franken will be new senator, because he is stealing it.

[erincnyc]

Funny how Rethugs think that counting actual votes is stealing. I'm just happy that they are calling Franken the winner now without even waiting for the recount.

[TakeSake]

Ok, try this:

You have a bag with some apples. There are green ones and red ones. You take them out one at a time and count how many of each color there are.

At the end you count 6 red ones and 5 green ones. You declare that there are more red ones.

However, there are still apples in the bag. You need to count those too.

What proceeds is not a recount. It is merely finishing the original count. After that, you are free to do an actual recount.

[amygdaloidal]

Yes, it sounds fishy, but what sounds fishy to me is that officials are "finding" votes that should not be "lost". The fact they these votes are real and accurate accounts of physical votes seems to point toward vote suppression. If Franken is stealing votes as you say, it would be one complicated thing to "make up" actual votes which public officials can easily investigate authenticity. Do you have a coherent argument that makes sense regarding your claim?

[Spokane]

Bingo...........stealing it.

[Anare]

Minnesota has long been the model for clean, effective voting in this country. Our voting process enfranchises all who are eligible to vote and seeks to make it easy to show up on Election Day and place your vote. That is why Minnesota often has the highest voter turnout in the country. In that same fashion, Minnesota will recheck the numbers before making the vote final and will carefully conduct a recount. Whichever candidate wins, I expect to feel confident that nothing was stolen. It just isn't the Minnesota way.

Meanwhile I voted for Al Franken and I will only be happy when a progressive liberal once again occupies the seat of the late, great, Senator Paul Wellstone.

Never Park The Bus!

[Spokane]

That is right the election will go forward and ballots WILL be counted not like Florida or Ohio. The problem is that Minnesotans will again vote for 2 idiots because they cannot do anything better there. You would think you were reading about an election in Panama the way the pick candidates.

[imworking4me]

As someone who doesn't live in Minnesota, to me it's important not to forget how Al Franken deflated Rush Limbaugh and exposed out the unabashed frauds who are euphemistically referred to as "talk show hosts". In my opinion, this was an early and imporrtant display of Al's high level of integrity and character, and by implication, his sincere compassion for those who have been slandered and otherwise wronged by the right and their ilk. Prayers in his corner that he comes out on top!

[Spokane]

Al Franken did all that ? Are you kiddin. Al had is own radio show and noboby came .....remember? Not even you or he would still have it....am I right or what ?? you tuned him out .

[ohmetoo]

What? Between 2006 and 2008 Minnesotans haven't learned to count? How embarrassing, now get your act together!

[Big0725]

Chill out dickie!

No need to be rude.