MN Franken/Coleman recount procedures - this will be INTERESTING!

[SavageDem]

State rules say that the Franken/Coleman recount will be a hand recount. This will certainly bring about some changes, especially with the state-wide difference being down to 475 votes (as of right now)! I was an Election Judge yesterday in MN, and saw enough in reviewing absentee ballots to know that there will be cases where the optical scanning tabulator did not record a vote for a candidate where the recount will. For example, if voters did not follow instructions in filling in the oval correctly on their ballots, the tabulating machine beeped at them and told them, "Unable to read mark in Senate race." The voter could then decide to a) accept the ballot - in which case their Senate vote would not be tabulated, or b) return the ballot to correct it. I saw many people just go ahead and accept their ballots when the machine notified them of an error. These votes will be counted in a recount.

The recount rules also have pretty specific instructions on following voter intent in the case of poorly marked ballots. Again, the machine would indicate an error on a ballot where the voter marked two people for Senate (e.g. Franken and Coleman), then crossed out one of the votes. If the voter did not ask for a replacement ballot and just chose to "Accept" it, there would have been no vote for Senate tabulated. But when the hand recount is done, that vote will be counted - as long as it is clear that the voter intended to cross out one of the votes.

I'm still holding out hope for Al. I'm so tired of always being on the short end of the stick when it comes to close races. I feel guilty, as I should be overjoyed with Obama's crushing victory. But having this sleazy criminal Coleman in office for six more years just makes me ill. I'm hoping for a small miracle!


Official Minnesota Recount Guide

[ORDagnabbit]

1. hand recounts are the only way to do it. This is awesome!

[orleans]

2. didn't al poo-poo the notion that 2004 was stolen?

ironic, in my opinion:

"He also said his campaign is investigating alleged voting irregularities at some polling places in Minneapolis, and that “a recount could change the outcome significantly.”

“Let me be clear: Our goal is to ensure that every vote is properly counted,” he said.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/33829369.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsr

on edit: i'm glad they will do a recount. i hope he wins.
i just want people to acknowledge that the machines can be fucked with
presidents selected, and votes stolen. then i want them to FUCKING FIX IT SO IT CAN'T HAPPEN AGAIN!

[NYCGirl]

3. And he's not saying this is stolen. But anything that close automatically gets

a recount.

[orleans]

6. oh, stupid me. i just equate "voting irregularities" with the fact that

someone is trying to fuck with votes.
on edit: and by "fuck with" i do not mean to have sex.
i mean--to steal.

[NYCGirl]

7. Not necessarily. But when it's that close, a recount makes sure everything is

correct.

[orleans]

9. then why would his campaign be investigating "voting irregularities?"

why bother? why not just do the recount and not waste time on "irregularities?"

[NYCGirl]

12. Because there might just be legitimate voting irregularities. NT

[SavageDem]

8. 'Zactly.

I mean, this is incredible. 2.8 MILLION votes, and it comes down to a 400-500 vote difference?! With over 4,000 precincts in Minnesota, that means just one mis-tabulated vote in every 8th precinct could tip the scales! (of course, that's the optimist in me thinking that they'd all go Franken's way...)

[Frosty1]

18. When and where did he ever say that?

source please

[orleans]

22. go find and listen to his old shows after 2004 election

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3586301

partial transcript from randi rhodes show wednesday 11/05/08:

"i haven't said anything throughout his entire campaign. i haven't said a word to hurt him nor have i said a word to help him. i just stayed completely out of it. but i got to tell you that the irony is so not lost on me that in 2004 i was banned from the airwaves in the election coverage at air america because i wanted to tell the nation that we were broadcasting to that night that ohio was being stolen in front of my eyes. they were in new york and i was down in florida because i wanted to vote here...i was hyper-alert to what was rumored to what was to be another stolen election. it was being stolen in ohio, there was black box voting going on there that was being routed to republican operatives--this year there were instructions that if they were black box voting to unplug the machine and not go through antibody's computer. because it was being routed through a republican operative's computer and they were flipping votes and stealing votes and they had only put a couple of machines in black districts--and i saw it all happening and i wanted to say something and i was banned from doing so. because the feeling was that there was no such thing as voter irregularities--as they called it. i was calling it the theft of an election because it was stolen from me the election before. and i wasn't allowed to say that--they just stopped coming to me--they didn't turn on my studio here in florida. and i won't mention all the people who were involved but they know who they are and they should be absolutely ashamed, and yet they're not. they're not. their careerists--they say.

"now al franken is saying that he would like a recount because he believes there were voter irregularities in MN. at the very least, al's gonna get some material out of it but after he gets done eating his words about no voter irregularities in 2004, if he has any room in his stomach he'll apologize to me. and maybe i'll talk to him.

"i cannot believe the irony of that race. i cannot believe it. it's like karma--this was like a karma election."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3586157&mesg_id=3586426

[trudyco]

4. This makes me hopeful! Will be interesting to see the different numbers.

[bullimiami]

5. nice. we will see if there were any tricks up with the tabulators or scanners then.

and the actual winner will actually win.

thats how democracy should work.

[Diane R]

10. Al can win this. I observed the recount in Wash St. for Gov. Gregoire...expect the count to change.

[eleny]

11. First, thanks for all your efforts!

I'm thinking positively about the outcome of the hand recount. So take heart and keep the faith.

If Al does prevail, I have the feeling that he's going to be a senator who is very interested in voting rights and methods. And that will be a very good thing for MN and the nation.

:pals:

[SavageDem]

17. It was my pleasure to be there - but you're welcome!

I was glad to be there - especially because I have actually read the voting manual! I had 4-5 "showdowns" with a Republican election judge who did not know the rules. When I would show her the applicable statute in the manual, she'd say, "Well, let's ask the head election judge, as it's really his call." And I would say to her, "Actually, this is the rule that we have to follow." She was pretty snippy for a little while, but later on said, "Maybe you should be doing this (new voter registration), since you seem to know all the rules."

MN law is very specific on what forms of new address verification are allowable (all sorts of utility bills, actually very generous), but she was trying to reject people that had a cable or telephone bill. Even after I thrust the book into her face and pointed to "telephone" in the list of acceptable utility bills, she still wanted to check with the head election judge. Fortunately, he was a Democrat and also trusted me!

I am trying to stay optimistic. I also think Al would be a great senator!

[ThomWV]

13. Thank you, it is good to know there is still reason for hope.

[hootinholler]

14. Plus the CSPAN Senate channel will be more funner with Al. n/t

[SoCalDem]

15. Even if Al ends up losing, there will be some comfort in KNOWING

that all ballots were looked at with many eyes..and counted..

Have they already counted the military/absentees/provisionals ?

[SavageDem]

16. Everything was counted yesterday - for the first time... [NT]

[nedbal]

19. As many as 6,000 votes which didn't count in Tuesday's election could count !!!!!!

Could votes that didn't count Tuesday make the difference in a Senate recount?


As many as 6,000 votes which didn't count in Tuesday's election for US Senator in Minnesota could count in the upcoming recount.

Joe Mansky, director of elections for Ramsey County, says that in any election, as many as 2 in every 1,000 ballots are "spoiled," that is, someone makes a mistake like putting a checkmark in the circle instead of filling it in.


more at


http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=528866

[Strelnikov_]

20. And with paper ballots there can be a recount.

OpScan isn't perfect, but at least there is a paper record available for recounts.

Also, with the Opscan ballots, voter intent should be relatively easy to determine. As the article in the above post points out, both Coleman and Franken filled in with an X through the Coleman is a vote for Franken.

[crickets]

21. A hand recount is good news.

Sounds like it just might tip it. Go, Al. We're pulling for you.