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

[NMO14]

Hey AL...you may have to go back to Air America, that network that can't even retain a station in the country's largest media market that reaches past the island of Manhattan.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

Any terrain between Mahattan (NY), Miami, and Los Angeles is total hicksville, so why bother.

[NMO14]

The problem is if your network can't serve the largest metropolitan area in the country (Manhattan is on 5% of the NYC market's population, out of some 21 million), then you have a PROBLEM.

[NMO14]

The problem is if your network can't serve the largest metropolitan area in the country (Manhattan is only 5% of the NYC market's population, out of some 21 million), then you aren't really reaching too many people that you should reach.

[madisonhack]

If Al loses this election, maybe Obama will make him the head of the F.C.C. Wouldn't that be a kick in the teeth to Rupert Murdoch and his right-wing talk radio? Can you say Fairness Doctrine?

[tryharder2think]

Jeez - why are you still here.

Enough of the d0uchyness already...

We got it - we got it.

You want to be known as a d0uche.

[AdV2k1]

the republicans are getting cocky about this. Al just sit tight, and REFUSE to concede until Coleman just gives up, through it to the Supreme Court if you have to. If he can't have the seat nobody should. Contest, Fight, Never give up.

[NMO14]

Hey AL: Stand up is back in your future...

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

COLEMAN should be so lucky. Just another fraud eating at the taxpayers
expense.

[georgebeckton]

I've just listened to Winson...a­nd my question is:

why did we let Lord Halifax sell us down the River,(including the united states) oh god you know this from history right?/

see me

[georgebeckton]

Interesting and my point was of course satirical. My point would nor be satirical for Sabra and Chatilla if that is what you mean

[georgebeckton]

AL I hate using Winston Chuhrcill as an example...­yep i can see why

But you fight to win.
no other distractio­ns......yo­u have an entire world watching these recounts, one-by-one ..but stick aound for some time, the analysis the word.

Would he be able to help the conservative cause? Would his vote change anything lieber mann?/ whoops got carried away with my self.

[Geranium]

Al , at least pretend to be a good loser; give it up, pack it up, and head back to Smalleyville.

[1differentdrummer]

Yeah, Al, give up, even if an honest count says you won. Where do you get tripe like that?

[Geranium]

From the original results where he won by more than 500 votes, that's where.

[Geranium]

Coleman, that is.

[DesertKayaker]

Another serial election show - cliffhanger after cliffhanger. Why can't the election procedures be the same across the country??????

[vernbvb]

Smells fishy to me. Looks like someone needed time to modify ballots and make sure they get thrown out. All they have to do is put an arrow or mark on a second name and cause that ballot to get tossed. Takes time to fix all those ballots. They will eventually be found. But, what about all those discarded absentee ballots. Nothing but a mess. Shameful the way so many stunts were pulled during this year's election.

[YeahDonkey]

They had a certain amount of votes on Nov 4th and less during the recount...­.uhhhh ..why is this so hard for Republicans to understand? No ones blaming anyone, they just want to know where the votes are.

yeah I know, you freeper hacks stole another one

[FogBelter]

The Dems should have 500 lawyers at least in Minnesota fighting for this seat.

[jaborine]

Please hang in there Al. Don't let them steal another election. What a disgrace in a Free country?

The history of American politics this year is beginning to mirror a tawdy spy thriller about an assault on a country. What leading candidate was brought down by his own antics? How did the rivals win by hanging chads? Who planted the false story of a terrorist plot? Were the Russian who flew over Alaskian air space involved? Who really shot the hunter? Who shot the moose and placed lipstick on the pig? What is the true identity of the mole from Connecticut that worked both sides? Will the beautiful young blond wife revenge the mistreatment of her husband in 2000 by the robo calling robot ? Who are the main suspects, Karl Rove, Joe the Plumber? What did the president know and when did he know it? Who will save us, the heroine from New York or the Everyman from many different shores?

[cdsister]

LOL

[lemonyashes]

I'd buy that novel.

[Tor Hershman]

Al Franken expects something “Fair” in the U. S. of A or from DNA, for that matter.

Gad, he’s funnier than I thought I think he is most amusing.

Stay on groovin' safari,
Tor Hershman

[socialmistfit]

This means that the Frankenstein campaign thinks they are going to lose. Time to start blaming the good ol' missing ballots and the GOP for stealing another one.

[Twinkie]

nah, blame all the lazy sloths who didn't get off their rear end to vote

[dadw5boys]

Frakin wants to win but he wants all the votes counted that all. Even id he loses votes must be counted right.

If the is fraud that how you find it with questions and research.

[trendier]

it is so obvious that republicans can't win an election without cheating.

[truth2008]

True dat, the repubs are famous for crooked elections, that how Bush got in in 2000, and 2008.
Go Al, don't let the crooks steal this one, count baby count!

[richinkle]

It is a matter of fact and public record that when all the ballots in Florida were hand counted, by the standard of apparent voter intent - the LAW in Florida at the time - Al Gore would have won the election, and been elected president of the United States in 2000. This would have been the result despite all the Republican attempts at voter suppression and intimidation in minority precincts - well documented throughout the state - as well as incomprehensible butterfly ballots, faulty and illegible punch card ballots, and other poorly designed voting systems that resulted in countless voter errors and the invalidation of tens of thousands of votes in Democratic areas clearly intended for Al Gore.

However, in an unprecedented example of Judicial Activism and Overreach, the Supreme Court intervened in Florida's hand recount, and stopped the election cold - handing victory to George W. Bush, who had filed suit to stop the recount. This was completely contrary to Florida State Law, and in clear violation of our most sacred and cherished democratic tradition. In a sense, the Bush team through their frivilous and bogus lawsuit, and the Supreme Court accomplices through their legally untenable decision, "STOLE" the election for Bush. A case clearly documented and evidenced, and witnessed by billions.

[BannedInBoston]

You got it.

[Gekster]

Show a couple of links that are not partisan to prove your claim.

[donaldw6]

Well, here's a good explanation of the problem, at least:

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1115-02.htm

There were a number of "overvotes" -- ballots that mechanical readers registered as voting for multiple candidates -- where the intent was actually very clear on manual inspection. These overvotes were disputed, but by Florida law should have been counted.

[LWkcma]

WHAT!! the gop appointing activist judges....­perish the thought

[Gronkie]

For a very clear and comprehensive analysis of the 2000 Florida Coup, read Greg Palast's "The Best Democarcy Money Can Buy." The stealing started far in advance of the election, with Jeb Bush ordering the purge of voter rolls throughout te state. Tens of thouands of people were wrongly knocked off the voter rolls and they didn't realize it until election day, when it was too late to fix it. This was done primarily in Democratic counties. It was no coincidence that this happened in Florida, where the candidate's brother was the governor and his father had plenty of connections from his CIA days.

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

Sandra Day O'Conner immediately resigned. Hopefully, the other judges that are left who were party to this will also resign once the rightful party gets back in the White House.... Yeah.. I'm talking to both of you, Scalia and Thomas....

[oscat]

It amazes me that a country, that can put a man on the moon, has so much trouble counting ballots. There has got to be a better way. Mind you if they had fixed it all in 2000 maybe Bush wouldn't have been president for 8 years and there wouldn't have been a war etc. etc.

[drkazmd65]

Well,.. to be completely honest,... it has been a while SINCE we put a man on the moon.

Perhaps we have just regressed into general incompetence since the 1970s?