Posted on 11/22/2008 12:24:12 PM PST by lewisglad
The weekend isn't bringing any respite in the Minnesota Senate recount.
Ballots in the ultra-close race between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken are being counted in at least three counties today.
Fifty-three counties have reported complete results to the secretary of state, meaning fewer than three dozen remain. As of Friday night, at least 60 percent of the estimated 2.9 million ballots had gotten a second look.
Coleman entered the recount with a 215-vote edge over Franken. That lead has dropped to 115 votes when comparing totals in precincts where the new count is complete. But the figure doesn't include ballot challenges, which have caused vote tallies for both men to drop.
There have been 1,525 challenges between the campaigns, although some could be withdrawn before the Canvassing Board's Dec. 16 meeting.
In a high-ceilinged warehouse in northeast Minneapolis, the recount was carefully monitored by 52 volunteer observers for Coleman and 40 for Franken.
The work area was hushed, with little conversation as people focused on their work.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Al Franken. A complete fraud, America hating, socialist.
BEYOND THE PALE!
Only "odd" if you assumed the proceedings were unbiased, impartial, and honest...
The best that can be said right now is that it’s a statistical dead heat. It looks as though the recount will remain in Coleman’s favor by 100 or so votes, but that’s swamped by the number of challenged ballots — probably nearly 3,000 by the end, and we just don’t know how good those challenges are, on either side.
If it’s true that Coleman is keeping the challenge count high to stay ahead in the recount, then he could be in trouble, but then it could be equally true that Franken is playing the same game.
At this point it’s probably safe to say that both sides are challenging anything that casts the slightest doubt and its going to be a long day for the canvassing board as they figure it all out.
Then, depending on the margin after the questioned ballots are sorted, its off to the courts we go.
Franken has about 50 more challenges than Coleman.
Actually, Coleman has +28 challenges over Franken.
That pretty much sums it up. Guess I’m not the only one that checked it out. LOL
well stated, except most likely we won’t be able to count on the appeal boards doing a fair job.
the figure doesn't include ballot challenges, which have caused vote tallies for both men to drop.
We might be the only two. If a mod checked his posting history, he’d be zotted by now.
He’s gone.
I don’t envy your job. The little buggers are everywhere these days.
They make excellent target practice ;)
Nice ZOT! Thanks Mod. Did you know electric cars are coming? LOL
LOL!
It doesn't. The Dims will NEVER let a little filibuster rule hinder their plans.
Boy...you have a higher opinion of the level of "class" that Senate RATS have than do I.**Much** higher.
I don’t believe the U.S. Senate has a say in who gets to be Minnesota’s senator if the election doesn’t get certified by Jan 20th. There is a “safe-harbor day” (Dec 9th) by which all the states have to certify their electoral college results for the presidential election or else the Senate decides for them, but I can’t find anything similar for Senate races.
I suspect that it can drag on for as long as one side doesn’t concede and continues filing law suits — even after the state has certified the election. Once certification happens (and there may be lawsuits filed in an attempt to delay that) then I suppose the declared winner can take his place in the US Senate.
It’s just a guess, but if the Supreme Court later decides that some votes were disqualified improperly and counting them was enough to change the result, then Minnesota would have to comply, but I suspect the Supreme Court would be extremely reluctant to get involved in a state election issue unless there was a very obvious miscarriage of justice.
Bottom line, I believe, is that the final say will be in the hands of Minnesota’s state government officials, not the U.S. Senate.
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