Minnesota Recount: Absentee ballots opened today
posted at 11:55 am on January 3, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
The Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken will reach its natural conclusion today with the opening of as many as 2,000 absentee ballots mistakenly rejected on Election Night … or not. Franken currently leads by 48 votes after the manual recount, but both sides have already promised to contest the results in court if their opponent prevails. In this case, neither side agrees on how many ballot envelopes to open:
To count or not to count — that’s the question in the U.S. Senate recount, as the state Supreme Court ponders whether to let the final stage of ballot tallying proceed or to redesign the process once more.
As state officials prepare to count 953 disputed absentee ballots Saturday, the court is expected to decide soon whether to instead open the door to a new centralized review of about 2,000 such ballots, as requested by Sen. Norm Coleman — or at least order the review of hundreds of additional ballots identified by the Coleman and Al Franken campaigns.
If the court refuses the Coleman request, an attorney for the GOP senator said Friday, he would likely lose the recount and immediately move to legally contest the state Canvassing Board’s certification of final results.
With the gap now down to such a small number, 953 absentee ballots could easily change the direction of the contest. It would only take a slight deviation to put Coleman ahead or to extend Franken’s lead. Of course, the more ballots reviewed, the better Coleman’s chances get, which is why Coleman wants the Supreme Court to order a centralized review; he thinks that it will produce a larger pool from which to gain votes. And of course, that’s why Franken doesn’t want Coleman’s effort to succeed.
In any event, this won’t be the last word. No matter who wins, the loser will go to court to stop the process and restart it. Until the absentee ballots get counted, though, we won’t know which role Franken or Coleman will take.
Blowback
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Biden as VP will generate a lot of SNL humor.
If Franken prevails, well, he isn’t funny enough to be on SNL.
perroviejo on January 3, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Are you ready for Senators Franken, Kennedy and….from IL?
We’ll celebrate by voting on and passing a TRILLION dollar nightmare.
But wait there’s more!
2010 and 2012 will be disasters for R’s.
There is no way to recover from what we’re about to get hit with.
The R’s couldn’t even defund PBS/NPR when they controlled all 3 branches.
FDR’s legacy is about to change to a fiscal conservative.
This country as we’ve known or wished it, is finished.
artist on January 3, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Unfortunately, I believe you’re correct.
rplat on January 3, 2009 at 12:06 PM
good luck again.
rob verdi on January 3, 2009 at 12:07 PM
The democrats will continue to “Find” votes for Franken even if they have to re-register all the dead in Chicago.
doriangrey on January 3, 2009 at 12:09 PM
“The R’s couldn’t even defund PBS/NPR when they controlled all 3 branches.”
Should have said the WH and both houses of Congress.
artist on January 3, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Minnesota Canvassing Board in executive session.
snaggletoothie on January 3, 2009 at 12:15 PM
go Franken. We need democrats to have as much power as possible, so they can ruin the country with big government, and maybe Republicans will wake up and become the principled opposition
lodge on January 3, 2009 at 12:23 PM
lodge, there is a part of me that sometimes agrees with that sentiment. However, if we let one Democrat “win” through explicit cheating, then more and more of them are going to do it and we will never have a chance to take the reins of government again.
myrenovations on January 3, 2009 at 12:27 PM
This week is the start of the final end to US Democracy. Franken will set a precedent that no Democrat will ever lose a close election again. Down by 700 votes? No problem, just find the votes in someone’s car.
angryed on January 3, 2009 at 12:29 PM
The one thing that has not been said is how well all this is going. The campaign between the two was really bitter but the recount process and the way the candidates are treating each other is really civilized and reflects well on the state and the two campaigns. It will be interesting to see if it lasts until the end.
lexhamfox on January 3, 2009 at 12:31 PM
I’m somewhat surprised Franken isn’t dragging his feet more on the absentee ballots, given that most absentee ballots are, well, military. And what do you suppose are the odds they’ll be overwhelmingly Democrat?
Spc Steve on January 3, 2009 at 12:34 PM
As the DemocRATic party here in Minnesota steals this election, the RNC and the national Republican party leaders are AWOL! Most can be found cowering under their desks whimpering like school girls wondering what they might do to once again garner favor with Democratic leaders and Bigs from the MSM! Leading this group is Senator John McCain…
sabbott on January 3, 2009 at 12:35 PM
I agree with old dog–perroviejo. Franken isn’t even good enough…to poop on, I keep wracking my brain to understand how anyone with an ounce of gray matter could VOTE for him.
I also agree with artist…this country is toast. Out here on the Kaleeforneeah fault line, we saw it sliding down the cliff first, since we’ve been a socialist state for years. I guess NY would qualify as well. Ya don’t need a fault line to realize that everyone is to blame and I’ll put the RNC and their RINOs on the top of the list. The lefties are ‘too far gone’ in their irresponsibility to take the blame. Same old, same old.
We need a ‘peaceful’ revolution, and pronto.
Christine on January 3, 2009 at 12:45 PM
The only solution to this mess is to nuke the damn state of Minnesota. Nuke it into the Stone Age. Go to hell, Minnesota. You’re a disgrace for letting this happen.
Percy_Peabody on January 3, 2009 at 12:46 PM
They probably said the same thing in the 30`s.
ThePrez on January 3, 2009 at 12:49 PM
sabbott gives us the inside scoop and it’s just what we would expect: the Minnesota Repubs are a bunch of little girls. I wonder what they sold their manhood for…but I really don’t want to know.
Christine on January 3, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Well, the country as they knew it then, really did change into something unrecognizable in the 1930′s. I don’t think it is outrageous hyperbole to say that this current crop of Democrats in power with to change every possible aspect of this country that they possibly can. And those changes will not be reversed. Perhaps augmented or slowed by future conservatives, but not ended.
myrenovations on January 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Remeber Ed’s late november posts about how wonderful the MN recount process is? how’d that work out for ol’ norm there?
/It’s still possible the state can do the right thing — but i’m not holding my breath …
Buckaroo on January 3, 2009 at 12:56 PM
I think the reason is that the counties that the reconsidered absentees somewhat favored Franken in the election. If the proportions of votes for each county are the same as the general election, Franken would pick up 31 more votes with the 900 absentees they’re opening right now.
That’s why Coleman’s trying to block more ballots from blue counties and allow more ballots from red ones, and the opposite is true for Franken. The problem for both sides is that if they’re not consistent in how they choose to accept/block rejected absentee ballots, it opens them up to an easier challenge in court.
tneloms on January 3, 2009 at 2:47 PM
This is quite different. We are right at the starting point of an all out socialist assault. You best get ready.
True_King on January 3, 2009 at 2:59 PM
Yeah, you sound sane.
The Race Card on January 3, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Insane Clown Possee = Mr. Franken goes to Washington.
I weep for the future.
Mr. Joe on January 3, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Why is Franken being pushed so hard by the Left, Soros ect..what deals have they made behind closed doors, that he is so necessary to a Senate Seat, No Matter what? Was George Soros propping up Air America? I can see backing Liberal Candidates but Why Stuart Smalley in particular?
Same goes for Burris and Kennedy, come on, they are not the only “Seat Warmers” the Liberal Left could “appoint” So why are they both getting pushed so hard to fill these seats? What Plans are in place, that take these particular “folks” celebrities in two cases Kennedy and Franken, to advance the Liberal agenda?
Dr Evil on January 3, 2009 at 4:02 PM
It’s pretty sad when we have to look to Africa to find an example of class and concern for the public good in a close democratic election.
michaelo on January 3, 2009 at 4:24 PM
No offense here but is this “normal” for Minnesota to drag out their recounts so long? Is the state planning to declare a winner before the next general election? Were this the key recount in the Presidential election would inaguration day pass without a winner known?
It just seems as if the process in place is far more leisurely than most places. Especially when everybody knows that the end of the “recount” is nothing more than the opening salvos in the legal challenges.
highhopes on January 3, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Did they ever resolve the extra 100 votes where the number of ballots exceeded the number of voters?
/not that something like that would be evidence of trying to steal an election or anything
AZfederalist on January 3, 2009 at 5:13 PM
“Dr Evil on January 3, 2009 at 4:02 PM”
jmo, but the left is emotionally driven. in al, they see one who folks into pop culture can identify with. “dude, he was on snl, now he’s a senator!”
with caroline, it’s the latest push for the whole camelot fraud upon the rest of us.
with burris, it’s merely a continuation of the sick joke that is identity politics over substance [see: obama, barry]
:-0
Buckaroo on January 3, 2009 at 5:15 PM
I’m not sure if this is better for Coleman or Franken. A lot of military vote absentee – but it’s not like Florida, which has a big military presence, and where a lot of military folks established residence there because Florida has no income tax. Minnesota has no big military bases. The only military absentee voters would be native Minnesotans who haven’t changed their residence to a more tax-friendly state.
The other big crowd that uses absentee ballots is college students.
Jim62sch on January 3, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Franken must have some of the Washington election officials on his staff. Outherwise how is he this close to winning?
duff65 on January 3, 2009 at 5:53 PM
“The only solution to this mess is to nuke the damn state of Minnesota. Nuke it into the Stone Age.”
Thats a little harsh, no? I mean come on, the WHOLE state?
Lucid1 on January 3, 2009 at 5:56 PM
This is pretty much the only subject this douche bag posts on…And it’s always the same…
Musta had a bad experience in the airport john or something…
BigWyo on January 3, 2009 at 6:12 PM
That’s as good a theory as I’ve heard on PP. He’s called for nuclear strikes on Minnesota on just about every thread that relates to the Coleman/Franken situation.
Percy, we take your point. You don’t like this and you don’t like Minnesota. Enough.
Mr. D on January 3, 2009 at 7:27 PM
Are these votes that have never been opened so no one knows who the vote will be for?
cadams on January 3, 2009 at 7:32 PM
As I have posted over and over…Coleman should concede. He cannot win. The ‘recount’ is a scam. Simply thank his voters and note the win and note the fraud and quit. I know he will not take the seat and the dems know it…the fix is in. If we participate in the recount fraud, we legitimize it. We also waste a lot of time and money. As the Washington State Governors race proved, those counting the ‘votes’ count far more than those actually voting.
JIMV on January 3, 2009 at 7:38 PM
It wouldn’t surprise me one bit it Percy was the FrankenTard himself…
Pretty much fits his psyche and personality…
BigWyo on January 3, 2009 at 7:47 PM
And they were right. The US post FDR was nothing like pre-FDR.
angryed on January 3, 2009 at 8:15 PM
I’m not so confident in the accuracy of this recount. When I took statistics in college, we would have looked at this situation as highly improbable. When a few million people cast ballots in a political contest, it is so unlikely that the tally will come up less than fifty votes apart that something would seem to be very wrong. People are just not split that evenly. A perfect even split in such a large election is as likely as all the votes going to one side. It’s just not going to happen….legitamately. If you believe in Occams razor, the far more likely scenario is that somebody is stuffing ballot boxes to get just past their opponent. Keep this in mind, over 75% of the ‘new voter registrations’ that were turned in during 08 for MN were from Acorn. Acorn has established a pattern of loading up the voter registrations with phoney voters and submitting absentee ballots for them. Another thing they do is put volunteers in the precincts on election day and after the voting is done, use the bogus voter registration to load up there side when there are no republican overseers around, which is very often the case. I would also point out that all of this time and foot dragging facilitates mischief. Votes have appeared that were not safegaurded, votes have dissappeared and according to the Coleman camp, 113 votes from the same precinct were counted twice. (the total from that precinct is still 113 more than the ballots that were cast there. (All for franken by the way). That issue still has not been resolved. If you are believing this is all co-incidence, you are extremely gullible. It has been TWO MONTHS since the election and they haven’t opened up the absentee ballots yet??? Trust me, those ballots are probably being engineered as we speak, that’s why all the foot dragging, they will not open them until they know the outcome. I think if this election were to be re-run, under very watchful eyes and checking registrations closely, Coleman would win handily, just like Saxby Chambliss did when everyone said it was a neck and neck contest. How much did he win by? It was almost 15 percent. It’s a lot harder to commit voter fraud in a runoff when everybody is watching closely. That being said, I think the dems are probably going to succeed in stealing this election just as they did in Washington State. The democrat judges, the democrat canvassing committee, all of the people who’s job it is to provide justice in this situation will turn a blind eye in order for there side to win.
Bikerken on January 3, 2009 at 9:30 PM