Franken Camp Calls For Investigation Of Missing Ballots

Al Franken's Senate campaign called on the Minnesota Secretary of State to launch a comprehensive investigation into the possibility of missing ballots in the state's recount election.

In a conference call with reporters on Monday, aides to the Democratic challenger said that they were growing increasingly concerned with news reports that ballots from Election Day -- which by state law must be recounted -- have gone missing.

"The number of votes counted on November 4th," said spokesman Andy Barr, "exceeds the number of ballots produced for consideration during the recount."

Marc Elias, Franken's chief lawyer, said that the campaign was not alleging foul play, noting that many of these missing ballots could be the product of administrative oversight or simple misplacement. But, with the election margin down to double digits (according to the Franken campaign's internal numbers, which they would not detail) he added that every single vote was of the utmost importance.

"[Missing ballots] should be a serious matter for cause and concern. That is why today we are calling on the Secretary of State to launch an investigation to find these ballots and make sure they are counted... to immediately instruct local elected officials to redouble their efforts to find all missing ballots," said Elias. "We know this is a close election... in an election this close we cannot let any lawful vote go uncounted."

The Coleman campaign, too, has said that reports of missing ballots should be taking seriously -- and there is little indication that these missing ballots would benefit one candidate or another. For example, on Friday, 74 ballots were discovered missing in St. Louis County, only to be found in a locked counting machine inside a warehouse. The county auditor said that the ballots contained votes for Franken and Coleman. On Thursday, meanwhile, the Center for Election Integrity MN reported that 243 ballots had gone missing in Robbinsdale County, only to be later found. Of that bunch 143 were votes for Franken, 140 for Coleman.

Those cases, however, have been successfully solved. In a memo to the Secretary of State, David Lillehaug, another attorney for the Franken campaign, claimed that there were still five missing ballots in Clay County, three in St. Louis, and 13 in Washington County.

"In an election this close," he added, "these discrepancies should be cause for serious concern to every Minnesota voter."

Comments

[hortonhearsawho]

Did Sarah make it up that way, oh yes she did. I would check her closet.

[woodrowwest]

Still obsessed with Palin? I bet you are still making Dan Quayle jokes. Get some new material.

[Reaganwater]

Gov Palenty(Republican) says no fraud is occuring .The old, tired, zero-imagination Stolen elections charge ? Talk about OLD stuff ?!
Hannity used that last week . Hire a different smear master there Woody !

[LeftRight]

POTATOE!

[Grunty1]

Palin is still obsessed with Palin, that much is obvious.

[dawlishgal]

Not Sarah herself, but possibly those who are so ignorant of the truth and decency that they are willing to vote against their own self-interest (and the best interests of their hapless families) for any dimwit who comes down the pike and mentions the name "God" enough to cover up her own selfish power-greed.

[philosopherkingtomas]

republicans are desperate and CHEAT watch them !

[LeeVing]

Franken's tenacious as a bull-dog.

[SunshineDaydream]

it is my understanding that al is the only host on air america that had no interest in speaking to brad friedman about election integrity. i hope he received his wake-up call and can lead the way towards election reform.

[woodrowwest]

I'm disappointed with Al, he should have had election stolen by now. Surely there are enough ballots in somebody' desk, closet, or car trunk to put him over the top.

[HowietheScreamer]

Sorry only Repubes steal elections. Coleman must have pissed Rove's boys off so they didn't help out with that this year. Poor Repubes. Sux to be you.

[trollsbwild]

Can't you come up with a better tr0// talking point? Fact is, they are doing the recount with bi-partisan oversight. BTW, tr0//s are comical in charging stolen elections after 2000 and 2004.

Get a clue!

[LeeVing]

Uh huh. Perhaps you're wearing your helmet too tight.

[Reaganwater]

And what did Karl say next ? The party of Nixon, WillieHorton , Abramoff, Scooter and Rushbo want everything to be strictly by the book . Rove's book that is .

[woodrowwest]

Willie Horton was used by the Gore campaign against Mike Dukakis.

[Grunty1]

They want everything OFF the books actually.

Money, votes, everything.

[NationalTreasure]

Nixon!! Mr. "I am not a crook" "please Gerald Ford give me a pardon" Nixon

everytime I hear that loosers name I can't stop ROTFLMAO!!

Nixon and Spiro Agnew, G. Liddy, Ollie North

the republicans pretend to be the defenders of ultra conservative moral values but in reality they are a bunch of lying, theiving, felons, crooks and hypocrites

[LeftRight]

Says the supporter of the party that has done everything that it can to ensure that people who are allowed to vote, and legally registered to vote, to not be allowed to vote!

[TKDuff]

If Al wins let's remind Bill O'girly that he is to move to Canada, immediately.

[Rebecca]

Haha. Did Bill really say he'd move to Canada if Al got elected?

[bluestateitch]

I would love if Al wins, He knows all the tricks the Repubs pull.
The Whipped topping on this win would be to see quote "'Bill O'Girly" move to Canada and try to start a movement to incorporate thier Healthcare system. Try to spread the War on Christmas, and Bizzaro World to the Canadians. Wouldnt that be awesome, They would bury that loser.

[TKDuff]

Yes he did but of course he will re-neg on it.

[Grunty1]

Don't forget to remind Normy that is needs to concede immediately, to start the healing.

[WilliamGossett]

If the results are too vague, can the board of elections call for a re-vote? Can a court oder a revote?

In a two-man race, I think Franken would lose, but, never the less, arbitrarily allowing some ballots to count and disallowing others is not "kosher." (No pun intended as both candidates are Jewish.)

[RadicalRepublican]

I don't believe that the pun was not intended.

[bobo6]

Gekster asks for proof of a vote count in Florida that shows Gore the winner on the other hand he claims every major newspaper has shown Bush with more votes.Would the Gekster back up his claim with a list of the major newspapers he cites as proof?

[joanjourne]

WHY does the concept of a mandatory "chain of custody" for our votes seem to elude lawmakers & election officials? What is hard about that?

And when are people going to start listening to Brad Friedman (of bradblog.com) who has been researching & documenting the almost-too­-numerous-­to-count allegations of fraud in our voting system for years now? Congress & the media have been STUNNINGLY deaf.
Paper ballots, standardized, hand-counted. Scrutiny, oversight. What is hard about THAT?

Oh, wait...some folks still have their boxers in a bunch over a "black man" in the White House and gay people actually having the temerity to expect equal rights. I guess we have a ways to go before common sense and human decency gain the upper hand.

[LeftRight]

Actually, all the major news outlets (not counting Fox, which isn't really news anyway, it's just commentary like MSNBC) performed a check after the election was done, and they all admit that Gore won in FL, and had the recount been allowed to continue while the SCOTUS deliberated, he WOULD have taken the state!

[mrwoodywest]

wrong

[Gekster]

I did some searching, and found a few that wern't major newspapers, to get away from any bias.

Here are a couple of articles I found. I did two searches.
One was "Bush won 2000 election, " and the other was "Bush stole the 2000 election. "

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/media/media_watch/jan-june01/recount_4-3.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/feb/27/uselections2000.usa1

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1095

http://boards.history.com/topic/Do-You-Believe/Bush-Won-Florida/700004913?messageID=800554199

Copy and paste into your address bar.

Needless to say, I got a ton of results for both.
It seems to be an unwinable argument for either side.
It comes down to who or what you believe.

[Liberalforsure]

If there is a way to cheat, the born again, christian right rethuglicans will find a way to do it!

[protagonia]

These particular "Born Again's" have come back as something less Human.

These are little devils. Demons, in the form of consumers.

[Kremfresch]

Working with a couple of these "born again" types, I have come to the conclusion that they are very comfortable lying and cheating, whenever convenient. After all, they can simply go home, and pray for forgiveness, and presto! clean soul once again, ready to lie and cheat another day!

[hortonhearsawho]

Born again on demand....light switch for the idiots.

[TMann99821]

What makes you think all Republicans are born again Christians?

There are plenty of Liberal minded Christians as well. I'll just name two; Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

[eggman]

Correct. But according to some experts, voter suppression and fraud within the Republican party in the last two election cycles appears to have been the work of religious zealots.

[LDnearthesea]

And it's justified because christianists can rape, rob, steal, and murder, and God says it's okay if it means a Repugnantcan wins! the end always justifies the means for these hyper-hypocrites.

[Myshkin57]

"On Thursday, meanwhile, the Center for Election Integrity MN reported that 243 ballots had gone missing in Robbinsdale County, only to be later found. Of that bunch 143 were votes for Franken, 140 for Coleman."

143+140= 283, not 243. So, which numbers are wrong?

[mike-o]

Don't forget the wicked words of Josef Stalin: It 's not who votes who counts, but who counts the votes!

[robin50]

I'm not from Minnesota, but I do hope Al wins. I have a really piss poor reason for that. It's just that I am sick and tired of born again, family values, hypocritic smarmy republicans with helmet hair who must spend a lot of time at the dentist for teeth whitening!

[texasweed]

Good enough.

[Candace8383]

works for me

[Liberalforsure]

Amen!

[janmarbol]

born again only means former crackhead, prostitute and/or any criminal who "found Jesus" after he did his share of partying... but that party animal still lives repressed in their veins and can pop up at any moment.

[BCubedReg]

For example: George W. Bush

[NMO14]

Al: You better call up Lorne Michaels...it looks as though Stuart Smiley is going to have a comeback on SNL, since that is the only job you will be able to hold soon.

[tryharder2think]

Wait - wait...

What's that sound?

Umm - oh yeah - it's the worlds smallest violin.

[Kremfresch]

and if you are going to mention the character, it's Stuart SMALLEY, philistine!

[mamala4]

Do count your votes before they are hatched...say bye bye Normie boy!

[Candace8383]

sniff sniff i smell an O'Liely fan
this election must really hurt huh?
and lol omg Franken in the senate lol
this might just make bill-o-the-clowns head explode....i am so enjoying this
thank you for your snarky comment it makes my day

[TMann99821]

Have you always been a rub it in your nose winner;
or do you ride a bike all day?

[Dolphyn]

The really ridiculous thing about this situation is that 15% of the vote went to Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley, so neither Franken nor Coleman has anything like majority of the vote. In my opinion (but apparently not in Minnesota law), there should be a runoff election to determine who gets the Senate seat, just as in Georgia.

[applehead]

great idea. maybe you can write to the right people so they can make it happen.

[RadicalRepublican]

Minnesota's House and Senate vot on such things.

[NMO14]

Isn't that ridiculous, that people would vote for someone other than a Dem or Repub? Horrendous! (NOT!)

[debrouillard]

what do you mean?
You dont have to be a dem or repub to run in an election in America. You only got to be an American. Thats the only criteria necessary.

[SwingingFromCenter]

What's ridiculous is people who'll throw their votes away just to make a "statement"

[Dolphyn]

I didn't mean that it's ridiculous for someone other than a Dem or Repub. My point was that "plurality takes all" is a ridiculous standard, especially in a situation like this where the top two vote-getters are almost tied for first place.

[Tyrione]

It amazes me how completely simple filling in the dot is and yet it continues to be a mystery how many people screw it up.

[08skeptic]

You need to remember that for many of the folks with these botched ballots,
they somehow still figured out how to clearly express their intent when they
voted for Jesse Ventura when he ran for Governor.

Although it won't help those already voting, maybe teachers of 9th grade civics
should spend half a day of class time to teach their 15 year olds how to complete
a ballot correctly and it should also be part of the test to get a new drivers license
issued.