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COLEMAN RECOUNT UPDATE
By Michael B. Brodkorb | December 23, 2008
FYI – I received this memo earlier today.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Mark Drake, Communications Director
Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Re: Recount Update
Today we will see the bulk of the action this week in the Minnesota U.S. Senate recount until everyone (hopefully) takes a break for the holidays. We wanted to provide you with a quick update on what you can expect to see.
This morning, the State Canvassing Board will convene to go through the spreadsheets they’ve created of ballots that have been withdrawn. As you likely saw last night, the Secretary of State released a work in progress spreadsheet that shows preliminary results of Al Franken being ahead by 48 votes. We released the following statement regarding those preliminary vote totals and wanted to be sure you saw it:
“As we said this morning, and we’ve said previously, Al Franken’s ‘lead’ is artificial and this process is still a long way from being complete. The fact that over 100 votes have been double-counted, overwhelmingly benefitting Al Franken, simply underscores the fact that their lead is not real. Along with seeking a remedy to that problem tomorrow at the Supreme Court, there are still over a thousand rejected absentee ballots that remain outstanding.  So while the Secretary Of State’s spreadsheet shows an artificial lead for the Franken campaign, it is based on votes that do not exist — in essence votes that have been counted twice. Additionally, we are still reconciling our numbers with the spreadsheet and we have already identified some discrepancies. We have no doubt that when these issues are properly resolved, Senator Coleman will be re-elected to the Senate.â€
We firmly believe that if this reconciliation is done correctly, without some votes being counted twice and that the “fifth pile†ballots are handled properly, then we will maintain our lead when everything is said and done.
Also happening today, the Minnesota Supreme Court will meet to hear arguments regarding the double counting of ballots. Last week, the State Canvassing Board determined that they do not have authority to make a determination regarding these duplicate ballots, so today the Minnesota Supreme Court will take up this issue.  Without clear direction and a ruling from the Supreme Court instructing the Canvassing Board to not count votes that do not exist, the Secretary of State will present tallies to the board that includes double counting.
Above all, it’s important to remember that no winner will be certified before December 31st at the absolute earliest, and we’re sure you expect, as we do, that this will continue beyond that date as different stages of the process play out. We remain seriously concerned about the issue of double-counting votes, thereby disenfranchising literally millions of Minnesotans.
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Topics: Uncategorized | 15 Comments »
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Of course no one will be seated before Jan. 1.
Norm’s barrage of frivilous lawsuits will prevent Sen. Franken from taking his seat until well into the new year.
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Thanks for your input Scott. As always you are full of shit.
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Pete..
Long ago, your insults dashed any and all credibility you ever had on this board.
Do you have anything of substance to share with the group?
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:59 AM
After pushing an old lady in front of a snowplow and then stealing stereo equipment from a quadriplegic I sat down and read this post.
I want to let everyone know that I’m a Democrat and I threw in those original and duplicate ballots. Merry Christmas….the Franken campaign paid me $20,000 in consulting fees to help them ruin Christmas this year by disenfranchising 3 million voters!
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Since this Richie system is working so well, maybe they should recount the Klein and Paulson races, too? A corrected typo here, some found ballots there, going with the election night results in some places, and a recount in others… any lead could be wiped out!
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Yes danbrome I do.
I would like to announce that danbrome is a idiot who seems to think his insults give him credibilty. I merely post to counteract his insulting posts. So far I believe it is a pretty even match, don’t you?
The same goes for Scott, I mean “Leroy”.
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:52 PM
First, you can’t “maintain” a lead you don’t have.
Second, even if the 100 “double-counted” ballots are overwhelmingly for Franken, that might not be enough. Norm needs those to break better than 3-for-1 in his favor. (If out of those 100 votes, 15 are for Barkley, 65 are for Franken, and 20 are for Coleman, Coleman’s still down 3 votes.)
And of course, the fifth pile ballots are expected by all to break in Franken’s favor; if they weren’t, Coleman wouldn’t have been trying to keep them from being counted.
I’m not saying it’s impossible for Norm to win. But it’s unlikely at this point. He’s got to have everything break right from here on out, and get a little luck to boot.
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:37 PM
I think at least 130 of these double counted ballots were mentioned. In that case using your scenario Jeff Fecke Barkley would would have(%15 X 130)= 20 votes Franken would have (%65 X 130)= 85 votes and Coleman would have %26 X 130)=26 votes before the double count. After taking off the duplicate count you would have 85 less Franken votes minus 26 less Coleman votes for the standing count which equals a net gain for Coleman of 59 votes.
Plus there are hundreds of other contested ballots to sort through befor we get to the absentee ballots that for all I know could have significant amounts of overseas absentee military ballots or domestic military absentee ballots. Both overseas and domestic military mailed ballots have by far the highest rate of rejection. So it is not out of wack to say that many of the wrongfully rejected were service men and women votes!
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:42 PM
Typo for the Coleman vote (should be %20 X 130)=26 votes and not (%26 X 130)=26 votes.
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:48 PM
I do not understand how the double-counting issue is not easily and fairly resolved. Someone please enlighten me.
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:04 PM
ranger the double-counting issue is not easy because I mixed up all those Hennepin County duplicates and originals really well. It was the work of a professional… me,myself and I!
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:36 PM
Plus there are hundreds of other contested ballots to sort through befor we get to the absentee ballots that for all I know could have significant amounts of overseas absentee military ballots or domestic military absentee ballots. Both overseas and domestic military mailed ballots have by far the highest rate of rejection. So it is not out of wack to say that many of the wrongfully rejected were service men and women votes!
Which is why it isn’t impossible Coleman could still win. But the irony, of course, is that if Coleman wins, it will be because Franken’s campaign took a strategy of having every vote count. Coleman would win on votes he tried to keep from counting — and that the GOP said shouldn’t count. Now, I think that’s fair — but I thought the votes should count all along.
December 23rd, 2008 at 4:36 PM
After all valid ballots are counted, we should congratulate the winner and wish him well, regardless if it’s Al Franken or Senator Coleman.
I mean, why try to steal something you can earn fair and square?
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:28 PM
I think the courts should rule this race too close to call and order a new election.
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:31 PM
I think they should call a special election and in the mean time the Governor should appoint me…Hunk of Burning Love to the Senate.