Franken-Coleman Recount: The count, what’s next, and what you need to do …

Posted by Greg Laden on December 6, 2008
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I have a little more information and some exact numbers for you.

First, some of the numbers.

The number of votes per candidate not counting Minneapolis 3-1, which has a packet of missing votes currently being searched for:

Franken: 1,210,285
Coleman: 1,210,995

The number of votes per candidate including Minneapolis 31′s results from the machine count:

Franken: 1,211,375
Coleman: 1,211,590

Regardless of anything you’ve heard or read, this second set of numbers is exactly how this recount started … with Franken behind by 215 votes.

Then we have the number of votes per candidate after the recount, but using the Minneapolis 3-1 numbers instead of the recounted numbers:

Franken: 1,208,747
Coleman: 1,208,939

This has Franken behind by 192 votes.

There are currently over 6,000 votes being contested between the two candidates. The Franken people have been keeping track of these in a certain way that they feel allows them to determine what the outcome will be once these are passed through the canvassing board, or at least, to make a guess. I want to be very specific bout my sources here. I have exactly two:

1) A fund raising email that was widely distributed; and 2) An article in the Star Tribune.

According to these two sources, the count given above adjusted for the number of changes that will happen because of contested votes will add up to a Franken victor of … wait for it …. (drumroll) ..

Four votes.

This is a problem. This is a problem because all it would take is one false move on the part of Coleman to sway the election his way. We know that Coleman is capable of felonious and other sleazy activity. There is not one fibre of his being that would provide even the slightest compunction against election fraud, if he could get away with it. This is one of the reasons that the Franken team could use your help with donations just now.

We are already pretty suspicious of the 130 votes that vanished in Minneapolis 3-1. Without these votes, the Franken count reverses and Coleman wins. With them, Coleman loses. What do YOU think happened to these ballots?

SUPPORT THE FRANKEN RECOUNT FUND!!!

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  1. #1 walleye1
    December 6, 2008

    Faulty math along with faulty reasoning. Franken was behind after the election. Franken will be behind after the recount is finished. Their campaign’s absurd claim that he is ahead by 4 votes is utter nonsense. After accounting for the discrepancy in challenges, Coleman is still up by 100 votes. As the vast majority of challenges are frivolous, and the remaining will not give either candidate more than 20 additional votes in total, there is simply no way Franken can win. He lost the election, time to get over it.

  2. #2 Stephanie Z
    December 6, 2008

    Oh, walleye1, what’s your hurry? It’s a recount mandated by law. It’s working its way through all the stages it’s supposed to, and the outcome will be what it will be. Then it will be time for people to get over whatever needs getting over. The priority right now should be to make sure it’s all done properly.

  3. #3 AnnieT
    December 6, 2008

    walleye1 is obviously a socialist.

  4. #4 clinteas
    December 6, 2008

    Anything under 100 votes,to me,seems too close to call given the possibility of mishaps in this seemingly 50 years outdated system of vote-conting,and should mandate a repeat vote.

  5. #5 John Emerson
    December 6, 2008

    This outdated method is superior to the electronic methods that have been proposed to replace it. The real problem is that the election is as close as it is. That would cause trouble in any voting system — almost three million people participated.

    Walleye1 has nothing. “As the vast majority of challenges are frivolous, and the remaining will not give either candidate more than 20 additional votes in total, there is simply no way Franken can win” is just hot air. Whwre’d the “20″ come from? He also doesn’t mention the absentee ballots.

  6. #6 walleye2
    December 6, 2008

    I told you to get back in the lake.

  7. #7 Ana
    December 10, 2008

    Updates:
    The search for the missing 133 Minneapolis ballots (from the precinct in which students were improperly prevented from voting) has been called off by elections director Cindy Reichert, and the Canvassing Board will decide on Friday or in the next week what should be done about the recount totals there. Also in the news, a few counties, including Ramsey under Joe Mansky, have refused to sort and count improperly rejected absentee ballots, short of a court order to do so. The Franken camp has intensified its push to have these ballots counted by producing a video. Find it here:
    http://www.alfranken.com/page/s/countmyvote

  8. #8 Not A Socialist
    January 12, 2009

    Isnt it funny that Franken is all hot and bothered to get a certificate so he can be Stuart Smalley Goes To Washington. Just like a liberal… hmmm is it not the liberals who always squak and scream that everyones vote should be counted, and noone should be disenfranchised? Funny how they talk out of both sides of their mouth. They dont want Coleman to sue to find some 200-300 missing votes, or possible votes counted twice. Which is it Mr. Smalley the liberal? your butt in a Senate chair or disenfranchised voters. Which do YOU care about nmore?

  9. #9 omar
    January 12, 2009

    Not a socialist: You are an idiot.