by Deb Cupples | Reportedly, about 12,000 absentee ballots were disqualified in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman -- and roughly 1,000 of them were improperly excluded.
Last week, a canvassing board in Minnesota decided to not count the 12,000 ballots. Franken says he wants the 1,000 (or so) that were improperly excluded to be counted -- and that he may seek help from a court or even the U.S. Senate.
The Hill explains:
"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 [Franken's lawyer] said of appealing to the Senate." (The Hill)
With the recount still only 95% complete, Coleman is about 340 votes ahead of Franken at this point. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, has all sorts of data on the recount: a county-by-county tally, the number of ballots that each candidate challenged, the candidates' gains and losses during the recount.... Memeorandum has commentary. Other Buck Naked Politics Posts: * Someone Please Take the Economy Away from Mr. Paulson * Will Obama Release X-File Memos? * FDA Hid News About Tainted Baby Formula? * NBC Keeps Using Military "Analyst" With Financial Interest in War
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