236.com: POLL: Minnesota Voters--Moronic Or Idiotic?

As the recount in the Minnesota senate race proceeds, the Al Franken campaign is crowing that the Democratic candidate has drawn within a double-digit vote margin of his opponent, incumbent Norm Coleman. But because hand counting is an inexact science, each side has accused the other of frivolous ballot challenges and gross misinterpretations of "voter intent."

Minnesota Public Radio has been running a helpful Web series inviting readers to examine some of the challenged ballots, and weigh in on for whom (if anyone) the vote should be counted. (Our personal favorite: the genius who wrote in "Lizard People.") We have have reprinted several of the disputed ballots, let us know what you think:

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[escobar]

These ballots are defaced, they should not be counted at all.
It would be different if one could see the authors had some sort of nervous condition causing marks outsie the oval.
These people are obviously mocking the election.
They're wasting the time of people standing in line to vote. They're being as disruptive as possible without getting thrown out.
One ,obviously spent a lot of time coloring the entire thing black, as others had to wait in line.

[MakeAWish]

If a ballot is defaced in any way, it should not be counted.

[huffyjive]

I think a vote for Franken is considered defacing the ballot .

[XME]

I'm thinking moronic AND idiotic. I mean, how hard is it to ASK for help if you don't know how to fill out a friggin' ballot correctly!?

[Carolab]

OMG!!! That is the FUNNIEST THING I ever saw!!! And I live in Minnesota!

[truthforme]

Absolutely funny! I'm afraid it was a bust with a good number of the posters here, though I suspect they didn't bother to look at the article.

[Carolab]

Not now -- I'm being stabbed in the face!

[totaldisbelief]

They voted Michelle B. back into office...that says it all.

[aubrey8]

now I know what is taking people so damn long....

[repugnicansfearme]

Don't give up your day job.

[C IH8U2]

The people posting who actually thought this article was real are probably the same folk who messed up during filling out their ballots. LOL :-P

[Carolab]

I can't believe some people think this is real! LOL! I live in Minnesota! Really--we're not THAT dumb!

[LadyMing]

That made me laugh. Good job 236!

[saron123]

Are you sure it is only a double digit lead?

Because this is what Minnesota Public Radio has on their website:

Coleman: 751,898

Franken: 723,378

Coleman lead: 28,520

Challenges: 1,525

Votes recounted: 60.86%

Last update: Nov. 21 at 8:01 p.m.

[Carolab]

Those numbers are messed up!

Here: Coleman only up by 181 votes with 67% counted.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c%3A%3AD3aDhUxWoW_vcOiDUiD3aPc%3A_Yyc%3AaUoD%3AEaD_eyckcU

[notb observer]

Why would anyone who went to the trouble of getting to the polls and waiting in line to vote, then waste their vote in the ways we've seen ?

I think that the elections boards need to add yet another voting instruction to the list, advising voters that if their ballot is difficult to interpret, it might be challenged, and the vote might potentially be awarded to someone they do not support.

I know this is self evident, but it seems some people who are old enough to vote do not have the mental skills to understand even the most basic of concepts.

[indypete]

Pssst.... 23/6 is a satire site. They're jokes made up by the comedians at 23/6. Not real. They're supposed to make you laugh.

I'm here to help ya!

[Kman2]

Perhaps we need to have some kind of posting instructions on HuffP for people who don't understand satire.

[Carolab]

LOL! 236.com for Dummies!

[RadicalConservative]

The only name on the ballot that doesn't have a mark on it is Al Franken's. I guess they meant to vote for anyone but him.

[Pancake]

Who stands in line to vote and then draws a picture on their ballot?

Would either candidate want to claim that vote?

[Myshkin57]

It's a joke. Nobody did that.

[Pancake]

Ok.
Now that I have clicked on 'read the whole story' I see 236.com is a comedy article. I didn't recognize this at first because I am unfamiliar with the site and it wasn't funny.

[Kman2]

I guess the joke's on posters who don't undertand this is satire. Good grief people, the 236.com website evens advertises itself as "political comedy"

Helllooooo?? anyone home?

[AtlantaBill]

Most posters here are pretty naive to assume that someone would stand in line for hours and then cast a ballot like those depicted. I;m of the conspiracy mindset and am quite willing to bet what remains of my 101K (was 401K) that inside saboteurs got hold of these ballots with instructions to make them invalid. A better way of assuring that this does not happen in the future is to design the ballots with a carbonized tear-off that allows the voter to have a serialized record of how his or her ballot was submitted. How easily a biased (and they all are I would suspect) poll worker to place a "dot" in the box along side the other candidate's name; bingo, that makes the ballot invalid. That way, at least a small sample of ballot with extraneous markings could be screened and followed up by contacting the voter to verify that no insider hanky-panky took place. I must say I'm skeptical and again would bet the 101K that a high percentage of these ballots with extraneous marking have been "sabotaged" by insiders. Throw out the results and have a re-vote.

[AtlantaBill]

Oops !

Guess i've been bamboozled, or, is it hood-winked ?

[nomobull]

what the ?

[darthdarcy]

Clearly a Vote for Al...looks just like him..!

[Sammy00400]

Oh no not the lizard people! I always suspected they were not all wiped out in "The Final Battle".