Posted on 12/01/2008 3:45:30 PM PST by Red Steel
Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken's campaign says it may appeal to the U.S. Senate or the courts because it believes that up to 1,000 absentee ballots were improperly disqualified in the state's recount of votes, The Hill reports.
"Wherever the numbers stand today…that number simply cannot be relevant if it does not include all the votes that were legally cast," Franken attorney Marc Elias said, according to the newspaper. "No recount can be considered accurate or complete until all the ballots cast by lawful voters are counted."
Franken trails Republican rival Norm Coleman by 282 votes with most of the vote counted, though his campaign claims the deficit has shrunk to 73 votes.
Here's more background from The Hill:
Minnesota's Board of Canvassers ruled last Wednesday that it would not revisit the improperly disqualified ballots.
Elias said that of the 12,000 disqualified absentee ballots in the race, "as many as 1,000″ ballots were improperly excluded, and should be counted. Elias said it would appeal to the Board of Canvassers, courts, or even the U.S. Senate to ensure those ballots be counted.
The U.S. Constitution allows each congressional chamber to be the "Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called the Board of Canvassers' decision to not count the absentee ballots "a cause for great concern," fueling speculation that the Senate would explore the legality of the Minnesota recount's results.
"If ultimately there is no remedy before the canvassing board or before the courts, then that is certainly an option," Elias said of appealing to the Senate.
if the numbers can not be relevant unless all votes are counted, then i surpose the obama election is not revelant either. ALL elections, theres are spoil votes, but the errors are usually below 1%. If you lose under 1%,then you’re just unlucky
The thing that’s really sad is that the results were even close enough to warrant a re-count. You folks in Minnesota must really be proud...
What a sore loser a-hole. It’s a sad day in America when we come this close to putting a comedian/clown POS in the U.S. Senate.
Shouldn't there be an "allegedly" in there?
What’s he trying to do, “steal the election”?
i just made that up.
It made me laugh.
If there was a runoff election, Al Franken would lose by much more than 1%.
What a whiny baby. He’s about to throw another tantrum, maybe he needs a nap. But his leftie friends in high places urged him on, so who knows? He might start a trend, where anyone who loses can appeal. Well, any dem, that is.
“call whine-1-1”
And have them send a waaa-mbulance
(I can’t take the credit/blame for that one.)
I heard he is incensed!
(A little Advent humor - “Franken insensed”)
Pretty sad state in a country when we put this guy on the ticket. I’m at the point let’s give them what they want and we’ll bunker down while they trip over each other in the playground.
This is what we can expect on a national level if elections come down to who gets the most popular votes.
I live close to Canada. I don’t think they would want to by him. They have a few clowns of their own they would like to get rid of.
This guy is really bizzare. I would sure hate to be his wife.
you mean possessed...
They should fit right in with that french bunch in Munntreeall.
is the devil a registered voter? He seems to have slipped in quite a few votes in this election....That would make a good book title or cartoon actually...
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