Minnesota's Challenged Ballots: You Decide

Representatives from the campaigns of Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken have been challenging ballots across the state.

It's your turn to play election judge. Tell us how you would rule in the case of these challenged ballots. Use this Minnesota state statute as your guide.

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Related: Franken Camp: We're Doing Even Better Than Reported

Check out HuffPost's Al Franken Big News Page and our Senate Races Big News Page!

Comments

[Bashley]

WOW!

[sloreader]

Which one of them wanted the lizard people vote again?

[Jacques415]

Some of these I wouldn't want to answer without looking at the whole ballot. What did the voter's marks or lizard people scribble show in other contests?

[Time2WakeUpUSA]

Wow....this is just further proof that we as a country just continue to get dumber.

[dadw5boys]

It is obvious that many people there need EYE GLASSES and they also need to be told that stray pencile marks can cancel their votes !!!!!!!

[bronceye]

I saw handtitty on his show last night saying that these ballots proved that Franken was trying to skirt the law and steal the election.LOL

[sixx]

That one clearly shows intent for Franken. Put it in Al's column.

[IHIRB]

I am pretty tired of holier-than-thou people from other states tearing into Minnesotans. Please. As if your state is free from voting errors.

I work with the senior community, and it doesn't shock me at all that there are scanner marks circled, dots in two ovals, etc. Have you even watched a little old lady with old eyeglasses try to write out a check at the grocer? It happens, people get confused, change their mind, and yes, we have mouth breathers here too. Shocking! I wouldn't be surprised if all 50 states have them! Saucy!

Lay off my state.

[snruB]

Day 1 Ballots:
#1-Franken gets it
#2-Reject it...you can identify by fingerprints
#3-Franken gets it
#4-Franken gets it
#5-Franken gets it...Lizard people wasn't coloured in like it was above
#6-Franken gets it
#7-Reject
#8-Franken gets it
#9-Barkley gets it
#10-Reject it
#11-Reject it...you can't tell the voter intended to underline Franken, ro to cross out that vote

Day 2 Ballots:
#1-Disqualified
#2-Franken gets it
#3-Coleman gets it
#4-Coleman gets it

[leftrightleft]

I have worked as an election official in Pennsylvania for eight years and have been through 3 different types of voting machines. Yes, we had those hanging chads too (or is the plural still chad). Several times, other officials and I have gathered to determine voters intent. Pennsylvania has it bad voters, too. Not just Minnesota. It is a bit heady to play God for 3 seconds, but we do it to the best of our ability. If the intent can be determined, then we count the vote. The one where Franken and Coleman both had circles filled in, but Franken had the line sort of over, sort of under -- I do feel that vote would not have counted. The signature? Well, had there not been a recount, that ballot might have never seen the light of day. The optical scan machine would have read it, and then it would have dropped into the ballot box. The vote would have been counted by the machine. So why wouldn't it be counted in a recount? The fingerprint? Jeez! Same situation. Suppose someone had sneezed on their ballot? Would it have been tossed because of DNA evidence?

By the way voters, in the future, if you make a mistake on your ballot, tell an election official immediately. That ballot will be marked as spoiled, and you will receive a new ballot. Then you or the country will not have to worry about about an extra vote, stray mark, etc.

[lisalovesamelie]

Looking at the ballots in question on the full article, I have to say there are a lot of stupid people voting. Most of those should be cast out of contention. Is voting really that hard? Really?

[BCubedReg]

If you see what some of them did with respect to their voting ballot, if reaffirms the belief that citizenship should not be the only requirement for voting rights. You should also have an I.Q. above a bed post

[Tommygun2146]

Paul Wellstone can once more rest in peace when the corrupt stain that is Norm Coleman is removed from the Senate.

[devildidit]

It"s evident that the person voting was voting for Franken. How could anyone not see that. Sure the
poor individual slipped, and by whose name was the circle filled in. You don't expect anyone to believe
that the person was voting for Coleman and slipped down and accidently fill in the circle next to Franken
do you.

[ledill]

lizard people????

that was seriously one of the most frustrating things I have looked at in a long time. Definitly need to go electronic to avoid stupidity like that.

[FR]

I'm not sure that the answer is electronic voting, but I agree about the "lizard people" -- can't people lay off being wise as**s, just once in blooming while, when the stakes are important and their alleged "wit" is so utterly pointless?