Via the Strib: Coleman vs. Franken: Recount looms
With 99 percent of the 4,130 precincts reporting, Coleman maintains an unofficial margin of less than 800 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast, almost assuring that there will be a recount. Required in races with a winning margin of less than one half of 1 percent, the recount could delay a final result for days while ballots are retabulated across the state.Franken said this morning that he intends to exercise his right to a recount, which could take place within a matter of days, if the vote remains as close as it is now.
This would make sense given the margins. Unless that last 1% is decisive in some way, look for this one to linger on for a while. Still, given the margin, the likelihood is that Coleman would win a recount.
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November 5th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Currently this one has Coleman winning by about 570 votes of 2.8 million cast, or about .02%. Minnesota allows for a recount if the margin is less than .5%. Minnesota tends to have a pretty efficient vote counting apparatus, so I’m doubting that Franken can make up that last bunch of votes.
Franken is making grim noises about voting irregularities in various places.
This is the one that the lawyers will get involved. Prepare for the horror stories of voter intimidation, lost ballots, etc. that are bound to come. Add this to the fact that this was a very nasty race personally. It won be settled for quite a while. It will be interesting to see if the Democratic establishment are interested in or able to swing this to Franken. With such a margin it’s not out of the realm of the possible, but the whole watching sausage being made may turn the stomach.
November 5th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Sadly, we are likely in for a round of lawyers.
Too bad MN doesn’t have GA’s run-off provision!
November 5th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Even though the election was close, I don’t see the wisdom in a protracted battle.
History tells us that, ordinarilly, a recount widens the victor’s margin. It is a rare exception in our history when a recount is conducted and a victory overturned.
I’m sure Franken won’t go quietly into the night because he’s Franken. I just hope that things don’t get really ugly - and by that I mean accusations of fraud and intimidation, which seem to be more common with every election cycle, in spite of a conspicuous lack of concrete evidence that these things occur.
Still, I’m not keeping my fingers crossed. Al Franken is one of the most highly polar people in the public arena. I remember browsing a bookstore some years ago and finding a book he published. The title was “Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot.” I didn’t get the idea that it was a centrist-type of book.
In that he is a radio/comedic/talk personality in opposition to Limbaugh I can understand why he would write such a book; but I don’t think someone with such an openly hostile and even juvenile tone belongs in the Senate. I’d say the same thing if Limbaugh ran.
Party affiliation aside, I hope this election stands, and Franken isn’t inserted into the government. He is damaging enough to our democracy where he is.