Right now, the best estimate for the difference between Franken and Coleman in the Minnesota Senate Race Recount is between about two and five votes (Coleman leading). The challenges that are currently underway and that will be finished tomorrow come hell or high water will shift that mainly towards Franken. It is quite likely that Franken will be ahead at the end of the day based on challenged ballots.
However, another important part of this recount is the consideration of absentee ballots that seem to have been improperly rejected. Team Franken wants them looked at because Al Franken is a friend to Democracy. Norm Coleman does not want them looked at because he thinks there may be a lot of Democratic votes in there and he is not a friend to Democracy.
Minnesota Secretary of State Ritchie had indicated to counties that they could look at these absentee ballots, and of course, Coleman's lawyers brought this to court. Arugments were hard in the State Supreme Court yesterday.
And moments ago, the arguments made by Coleman were rejected. The ballots will be looked at.
The star tribune has the story here.
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i was watching the news last night and they made mention that the vote difference was down to 2. coleman leads by TWO.
they are *tied*.
even with the recount by hand, counting errors are going to be made. if the error rate is only 1 in 100,000 and the total votes are what, 3 million or so, that is still a 30 vote uncertainty.
i read somewhere that the errors by hand counts are like 1 in 1000, so the 1 in 100,000 is orders of magnitude smaller. the uncertainty is more like +/- 3000. the 2 vote "lead" is no such thing. they are tied, well within the uncertainty of the results.
flip a coin. have a cage match. a slam dunk contest. a game of battleship. have Al legislate monday, wednesday, friday and Norm legislate tuesday, thursday, saturday. on sunday they can both take time off. (Norm can use that time for his legal defense preparation.)
Rob: With hundreds of ballots challenged by coleman still to go through, the final will be Franken up byt between 80 and 90. This is not counting the absentee ballot issue. We will not need a coin flip.
Anything over 100 for Franken in a mandate at this point considering that Norm is about to get tossed in prison.