Minnesota Missing Ballots: Search Given Up

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the hunt for missing ballots in Minnesota is off, at least for the moment:

The missing 133 ballots in a Minneapolis precinct are going to stay missing - at least for now.

City spokesman Matt Laible said today that officials had suspended the search for the ballots that began after they turned up missing in the waning hours of last week's U.S. Senate recount.

The matter will be turned over to the state Canvassing Board, which will decide whether the 133 will be officially counted, Laible said.

Al Franken's campaign says they are not too worried about the ballots, because the state is planning to count the original Election Day results from that county. If the ballots are not found and the Election Day results are not used, it would cost Franken a net 46 votes -- which, as TPM reports is, quite possibly enough to flip the race to Norm Coleman.

Comments

[BillMelater]

Could it be that these missing ballots were not around in the first place? Like maybe they are just imaginary ballots - not really missing?

[JePenseDoncJeSuis]

How magnanimous of Al to "not worry" about the missing ballots. That's because he gains 46 votes by the random decision to go back to the original election night results. What a patriot.

[redsongia]

Who knew comedian Al Franken would wind up in the middle of longest Senate battle in history.

[Rule Of Law]

Truth is you gotta be tough to be a comedian--probably way tougher than Gore and Kerry were in similar spots, who rolled over rather than fight to the bitter end.

[smilodon1]

Kerry was a real wimp. He folded so fast it took my breath away. I wonder why he wanted to give us four more years of Bush and republicanderthal dictatorship?

[Rule Of Law]

I think that they should offer a bounty for every "missing" ballot. Something like, oh I don't know, a million dollars per ballot. I mean, they're "lost" right? No chance of them just turning up on their own. But, if properly motivated, those ballot counter people might be a little more proactive, hmmm?

[tre]

Alright, Al! NOW will you FINALLY admit you lost and go AWAY!

[Grunty1]

Because Al hasn't lost yet, unlike you, who lost your mind long ago.

[wyndrider]

Stay Al stay! Go Al go! Every vote counts!

[jeffrey678]

VOTE BY MAIL !!! This is a perfect example why we should have vote by mail. Too Many hands on too many ballots. How did they get lost? How did they get misplaced? Who lost or misplaced the ballots? Will anybody be going to jail? If someone tampers with mail its against the law. there will be a criminal investigation and someone will go to jail.

[jeffrey678]

Check the Oregon system vote by mail on the internet.

[Grunty1]

Umm that doesn't make any sense. Right now, there are basically 2 sets of hands on ballots, those who brought them TO the warehouse after election day and those who RETRIEVED the ballots from the warehouse. Anything traveling through the mail is going through many more sets of hands than 2. And once the ballots are received and counted, they are going to be handled the same way as these ballots have been.

Voting by mail certainly has advantages, but this is not one of them.

[Bluedog12]

And the Governor is a Republican.

[nick1936]

Settle this case once and for all do what the Constitution requires send this election to the incoming U.S. Senate for a vote and allow them to seat the one they believed won.

[taddles]

Once the recount is finished, if it is a tie, it can go to the Congress. Otherwise it's still premature.

[UnknownSoldier]

Obama carried Minnesota by a huge margin if Al couldn't ride those coattails it means the electorate really didn't like him that much. This race would not have been this close if a better candidate had run.

[bullwinkle88]

True. When the election is this ridiculously close, it means the people didn't like either candidate.

[taddles]

Minn. races have been very close for several years, that's what happens when you have a viable third party.

[squander123]

Words really can't describe how appauling this is in a supposedly 'mature' democracy. Ballots do NOT go missing and ballots are NOT left uncounted in a functioning democratic system. All joking aside, there's a genuine case to be made for the UN to send International Observers to future elections in the US.

[DixieChic]

Just before the 2004 election, NPR's Terri Gross interviewed Jimmy Carter on Fresh Air. They were discussing the upcoming election and issues related to the problems following the 2000 election. She asked him if the Carter Center would consider overseeing the 2004 and he responded that it would not. Why? Because most states in the U.S. lack many of the the fundamental requirements for baseline fairness (I think there were 10) required by the Carter Center before it will even get involved in oversight. This was stunning and remarkably sad.

[Mainbob]

With this many ballots missing and other inconsistancies, I think that they should have a do over.... New vote... just like they did in Georgia. Every Vote Must count!

[squander123]

Wow. I'd never heard that. Thanks for passing it on, deeply depressing though it is.

[blueskybigstar]

You've been fanned.

[LiberTLover]

Maybe they could call the Iraqis and have them oversee their future elections.

[dspencer3491]

I am so disappointed

[Gifts]

OMG, total fraud, finding votes. Counting election day votes doesn't take this long. How can anyone believe that this is for real. I think it is obvious that Franken lost and he is doing anything to change those results.

[bullwinkle88]

Nonsense. If it's this close how can you say anyone lost? Think about your posts before making them.

[Grunty1]

I don't believe you are real, since all your comments are dead wrong.

[vippy]

The GOP has to know where the ballots are and had them removed so they can escape suspicion.
Would not be the first time.

[GMANDOG]

Sorry even if found the votes should not be counted no matter who says they are for, The chain of custody has been broken so how can you guarantee that these are viable votes? You cant.

[hortonhearsawho]

beginning to become concerned with the viability of the state in general..