Final Minnesota Absentee Ballots Set To Be Opened And Counted Saturday Jan 3rd

Point your browsers to The UpTake on Saturday starting at 9 AM CT to watch the opening and counting of those previously rejected absentee ballots in Minnesota's extremely close US Senate race. Unofficial State Canvassing Board totals put Democrat Al Franken ahead by 49 votes over Incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman.

Of course, that could all change depending what Minnesota's Supreme Court does. Minnesota's Secretary of State's Office announced the opening and counting time before the Coleman campaign filed a request for the court to halt the absentee ballot review process and essentially start over with new rules. The Coleman campaign says the standards for rejecting or accepting absentee ballots vary too widely by county. The counties have found about 1,350 absentee ballots that were wrongly rejected. The Coleman campaign would like to count an additional 654 some ballots it says deserve another look.

Most of the additional absentee ballots the Coleman campaign wants counted are from areas that lean Republican. Coleman lawyer Tony Trimble calls that a "coincidence".

The court has not commented on the Coleman request nor indicated if or when they will rule on it.

Comments

[Wide Stance]

The distinguished gentleman from MN (aka "Al") is up by 185 votes. Why was Coleman allowed to bugger this process up for so long? It's clear he lost.

[DrDemon]

Soon To Be:

--------- > Senator Franken!

[mater]

Coleman wanted Franken to cave the night of the election, with many absentee ballots from the military etc not even present to be included in the count. Now, nothing but sour grapes, even while he's in potential criminal legal trouble. And now, threatening a lawsuit if Franken wins--who's going to pay for that and who represents MN while that gets dragged out?

[ShephDJ]

I don't see the recount as entertaining. I see it as a fine example of how an election should be run, with the fairest vote count made that is possible. The only part of this election that has bugged me has been my knowledge of all my fellow liberal Minnesotans who rejected Franken because they listened to all the made-up accusations based on Franken's former years as a comedian. Had they taken the trouble to get to know the man first-hand, many of them would have voted differently, and Franken would have been the clear winner weeks ago. Don't blame Franken, blame lazy liberal voters. They exist. I've talked to too many of them.

[agate]

I'm hoping to remind Al what he outlined in his book. After winning the senate race the new congress would bring up impeachment charges on Bush inc. It might be the only way to heal what frat boy has done to our country.

[ShephDJ]

Frat boy? Whom do you mean? Coleman? Bush?

[MNmommy]

This should be good entertaining fun!

[silverball]

coleman is going to throw such a hissy fit tamtrum...­..lol.....­i think he, generally, has more trouble losing to franken rather than someone...­.ANYONE...­.else.....­LOL......