Minnesota ruling favors Franken as recount looms

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sen. Norm Coleman has failed in an attempt to block some absentee ballots from being counted in his close race with Democrat Al Franken.

A Ramsey County judge on Saturday denied the request because of lack of jurisdiction. The incumbent Republican had tried to block 32 ballots from heavily Democratic Hennepin County.

Coleman's campaign says the ballots were not counted on Election Day or were not kept in sealed boxes. It says the request was made amid "increasing questions about unexplained and improbable shifts in vote counts."

The most recent vote tally has Coleman leading Franken by only a couple hundred votes. A recount is planned.

Comments

[angrykeyboarder]

Al Franken will win in the end.

Why?

Cuz he's good enough and smart enough and doggonit people like him!

[DrDemon]

--- > You "Bet-Cha" !

[Imzadi]

At least we're not FLORIDA.

[vicbennett]

Hey all out there.

I actually had to do a write in ballot, because i never got my official state ballot I applied for in September sent to my Denmark address! Guess when my ballot showed up at my doorstep? Nov, 7th!

In the ballot, It was kindly explained to me that, my ballot will only be valid if post marked November 4th.

Criminal emlements with power want to destroy Democracy from the inside!

[eznelson]

I have discovered what I believe to have been some vote SUBTRACTIONS in the Al Franken and Norm Coleman race. I just posted the story on OpEdNews. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Many here have much more experience at looking at election fraud so maybe there is some normal explanation for this. I can't think of one right now.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Evidence-of-Republican-Fra-by-E-Nelson-081110-788.html

[Imzadi]

Excellent research and well done article.

[CaptD]

Count every vote, so that every vote counts!

If there is any question, do it again and again until the count is correct...

That way, our right to vote is protected from "JERKS" that try and rig elections...

[BigHeadTodd]

This is Gore-Bush 2000 all over again. Nickeling and diming so that some can be declared the winner by the thinnest margin imaginable? If there are so many he said-he said arguments, why don't the powers that be in Minnesota call a runoff election and maybe the votes siphoned off by that 3rd party candidate will determine a safer, more palatable margin of victory for one or the other.

[StephCaster]

There is no need to listen to any arguments by anyone. Just follow the law, and use human beings to count the paper ballots. Follow the rules established for this election: the recount is part of those rules.

For a future election, Minnesota should adopt STV (Single Transferable Vote), the effect of which is to allow an automatic runoff without an additional election (because voters mark their second choice candidate as well).

[DrDemon]

Coleman needs to go find Lieberman in retirement!

[Americano]

Repubicans, I do not see them being a relevent political party in America going forward. They are just to self serving!

[Mel David]

The idea that there is any "fair" way to conduct the Minnesota recount is a farce. We're seriously going to think that we're so good at elections that we can say with confidence who won within one one hundredth of a percentage point? Minnesota is a very civic-minded state and has the highest turnout in the nation, but I don't think even they are that good.

Here's my proposition: most states already have a law that there is a mandatory recount if an election is decided by less than .5%. How about a mandatory runoff if an election is decided by less than .05%? That translates to a bit over 1000 votes in a state the size of Minnesota. Just a nice "do-over" to get a more conclusive picture, and following a super-close general election you can be sure that everybody who cares will turn out.

Of course in this case, the runoff would be a laugher for Franken, since you'd have to be an idiot to think Barkley took more votes from Coleman. That would just be a nice bonus to my proposition, which I assure you is based on fairness and not the fact that I REALLY REALLY want Franken in the Senate.

[waynewoodworks]

If for some reason the recount doesn't put Al in the US Senate, I think he would be perfect as Obama's new press secretary. I would take time out of every day to watch his press briefings. Unfortunately, by the time the votes are all (re) counted, Obama will have named Bob Gibbs to the post. Please , president -elect Obama, WAIT!!!

[DrDemon]

"Obama's new press secretary?"

Now that may be "pushing it" a bit.

[Birdshot]

no, I am afraid that the press secretary post is reserved for Jon Stewart.

[mamacat]

Why not Stephen Colbert? Didn't he say he wants bi-partisanship? What could be more bi-partisan than a faithful Republican like Colbert as press secretary?

[PackYourBagsNeocons]

My first post fellow Democrats. I donated to Franken's campaign as well as Tinklenberg's. After listening to that witch Bachmann I had to donate. The funny thing is I don't live in Minnesota, I am in Indiana ( went Blue as well as my home state of Nevada ). I do believe Franken will eventually be the victor. It's unfortunate that Tinklenberg wasn't the victor but hopefully Bachmann will end up having a miserable 2 years in D.C.

MJD

[guajiro]

I know in Texas the districts were re-aligned (Gerrymandered) to favor the Republicans when they stole the elections these last few years. Dems now have the opportunity to re-align the voting districts in their favor and so the narrow victory Bachmann eked out will translate into a loss the next election cycle. It would be nice if we could get an amendment to the Constitution passed wherein it says the people have a RIGHT to a vote.
http://www.house.gov/jackson/VotingAmendment.htm

[shockmagog]

The Al Franken Senate Decade.

Of course, it's perfectly normal for a Republican to try to block votes from being counted.

[RODERICK098]

And to support electronic voting machines whic were designed by a rabid reublican. How many of them have benn tampered with by the Reublican party? ONLY PAPER TRAIL VOTING SHOULD BE USED. IN CANADA THAT IS ALL THAT IS ALLOWED AND THE RESULTS ARE KNOWN WITHIN AN HOUR OF THE POLLS CLOSING

[soupson52]

Absolutely!!!!

[INALdem]

I CANNOT WAIT to see the look on Billo the Clown's face when Franken is finally elected. Bill Orally and Franken have a genuine hate for each other. This is gonna be GOOD!

FRANKEN 08!

[Tabasco]

Prediction:

Minn: Buh Bye Normie

Georgia Run-off: Can't tell yet

Alaska: Teddy's out even if the recount favors him, but I'll bet all the uncounted early, absentee and questionable ballots will put Begich over the top.

[dphilip]

Can anyone tell me how many "NEW" votes they "FOUND: for Norm Coleman?? hahahahah..
My god talk about a "banana republic"!

[reallymolly]

How was there a "typo" that stole 100 votes from Franken?

[doctorwang]

Who was talking about a "banana republic"? Why the fixation with bananas dphilip?

[KathieKH]

Can I ask one question? I heard the militay complaint that their votes aren't counted unless there is a tie or recount. Does anyone know the number of military votes that could be considered in Minnesota?

[HoraceOvidson]

But maybe Franken should just concede the election to Coleman in a generous gesture of bipartisanship.

[devinsbuddy]

Maybe he should tell the Repubs to shove it after the past 8 years!

[ChescoMom]

You're joking, right?

[Myshkin57]

Coleman could do that and he'd really be shown to be the big man.

[ThePublicRecord]

http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/478-franken-gains-on-coleman-as-more-absentee-ballots-turn-up.html

Franken Gains on Coleman as More Absentee Ballots Turn Up

The closest senate race in the country just got a little closer.

The number of votes separating Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken shrunk to 221 from a high of more than 700 after Election Day out of 2.9 million ballots cast.

32 absentee ballots have turned up in another heavily Democratic county of Minneapolis that could further cut into Coleman"s lead.

Coleman"s campaign tried to stop the ballots from being counted by asking a Ramsey County court judge to issue a restraining order stating that the integrity of the ballots may have been jeopardized.

[kid5rivers2]

Al be frank in this blog! Repubs need to take a hike!