[UPDATED at end of article with today’s (Friday’s) latest numbers.]
As thousands of challenged ballots from both Sen. Norm Coleman (R) and challenger Al Franken (D) are being decided by the bi-partisan state canvassing board in the U.S. Senate race in MN, AP says it’s currently a 2 vote race, out of 2.9 million ballots cast, in favor of Franken.
That said, as all of the challenged ballots are finally counted over the next several days (and weeks), the lead could go back and forth a bit each night. The Star-Tribune, which puts today’s margin at 5 votes in favor of Coleman, currently projects that Franken will ultimately win by 89 votes…
How the Strib comes to that final projection is unknown, as the MN Supreme Court ruled today that some 1600 incorrectly rejected absentee ballots — never counted — should now be counted. Those ballots are believed to likely favor Franken if they ever actually get counted. The Coleman camp had tried to keep that from happening by taking the the matter to the Supremes in a FL 2000-style gambit to try and stop the counting of ballots.
But the court’s decision to allow the counting, as long as both campaigns and SoS Mark Ritchie agree to standards for ballot inclusion, leaves much room for Coleman to continue attempts at blocking the counting of legitimate votes, cast by legitimate voters improperly disenfranchised. Both campaigns claimed “victory” from today’s ruling.
Politico reports that “Ritchie, who chairs the five-member Canvassing Board, said Thursday that the board may not finish ruling on disputed ballots until December 30 because of a recent influx of new challenges brought by the Coleman campaign.” Though the contest is likely to be in dispute even beyond the end of the year. “Litigation is inevitable,” Carleton College political science professor Steve Schier said. “If Franken loses – he’ll argue legitimate votes were not counted. If Coleman loses, he’ll argue illegitimate votes were counted.”
All of that said, we’re just happy there’s something to count…and argue about.
NOTE: We’ve added the Strib’s Senate Recount Widget to our right sidebar for a bit, just below the “Daily Voting News” box, to help keep you up to date. It includes links to their latest numbers and headlines, since we remain on the road, frequently off the grid, and otherwise trying (but largely failing) to follow doctor’s orders.
UPDATE 12/19/08: Following today’s counting of challenged ballots, Franken is now up by 251 votes, though thousands remain to be determined by the state canvassing board. RAW STORY reports that the Strib’s projection of Franken winning by 89 (which has now been updated to Franken by 78) is based on the paper’s tallies of all of the 6000 or so challenged ballots, but does not include the 1600 previously rejected absentee ballots. Keep an eye on the Strib’s widget (now in our right sidebar as noted) for the latest.
The star tribune got that number from the poll on the challenged ballots. The wildcard is still the absentee votes.
Al should be ashamed for not reporting on electronic vote tabulation devices. And election integrity in general. That said, I still hope he wins.
Phil – Al’s far from stupid, and I hope that not only does he win, but that the experience opens his eyes. Minnesota isn’t all that different from Canada in many ways, and it should be noted that in Canada they count their hand-marked paper ballots by hand, on election night, on the precinct level and in a completely transparent manner, and the results are in far more quickly and reliably and inexpensively than in the U$ system, and are actually unassailable. It’s such a no-brainer…
Franken now ahead by one or two votes by my count on the challenged votes at 9:17am CST.
IMO, Al is trying to stay above the fray as is (and more so) than Norman, let the people decide this. Al doesn’t want to look like a sore loser or a gloating winner, it will ruin his political future if he loses.
Back in the ’80’s when Wing-Nut fever was running high in Minn-ah-so-tah, the strib was known as the ‘Red Star’, a commie paper. 😉
The Tribune was the morning paper and the Star was the evening edition before that…I had a route, an all American boy I was 😛
Everone knows that they will just keep recounting votes until Franken wins. Its like playing wiffleball with the neighborhood bully when you were a kid. If he struck out he would declare a “do-over” sighting some vague infraction on your part. The process would continue until he got a hit. Same thing here. Franken will keep bullying until he wins. He doesnt care about democracy, just winning at all costs. Way to go Stuart Smalley. What a crock you are!
[ed note: We are suffering from a glut of Matts today, both new commenters, so please both of you pick new screen names if you’re going to comment again. Thank you. –99]
Matt [B]… you are a troll and your comments are inflammatory and unfounded.
The MN process is one of the most transparent I’ve experienced with disputed ballots available for everyone’s live feed viewing as well as the 5 member panel’s review of each one’s intent.
Both Franken’s and Coleman’s lawyers are present to give their legal interpretations…. there is no ‘bullying’ with the panel ruling transparently, clearly and indisputably.
Currently Nate Silver at http://www.FiveThirtyEight.com has Franken winning by only 30 votes when all is said and done.
A close election indeed.
Now the issue is will Coleman concede before January 6th when the newly elected Senate is convened?
If not then MN Governor Pawlenty can name an interim Senator (no doubt Coleman) until everything is resolved in the courts… perhaps in a month or two or three.
This hurts MN in terms of Senate seniority if Coleman indeed looses…. and could be an intended result… or not I hope.
Oops.. Nate has upped his Franken victory margin to 40 now.
Arch, watch the strib gizzy on the right side of the page >>>, it’s more exciting
oooh, this didn’t make the national news.
More wing-nut heads explode Link
All I want for my birthday (Jan 6) is a truly funny Senator! And a filibuster-buster?
The fix is in. too bad.
Stuart Smally, failed commedian, talk show host, and human being will be the poster boy for the Democrats from now on. He’s a joke.
Be careful what you wish for.