Recount returns to Rochester

Campaign representatives for Democrat Al Franken and Republican Sen. Norm Coleman return to Rochester tomorrow to hash over which absentee ballots were improperly rejected. The work begins at 1 p.m. at the Olmsted County Government Center in Conference Room 1. As part of these meetings, campaign representatives and county officials will be working together to try to develop a consensus over which absentee ballots were illegally tossed out. Olmsted County election officials have identified 50 ballots they say were improperly rejected.

Based on this Star Tribune story, odds are this could end up being a contentious gathering. Meanwhile, the haggling has left some voters in limbo wondering whether they're ballot will be counted. That's the case for Rochester's Richard Haefner. I write about that in today's column.

Comments

[Kathleen Castrovinci]

I voted Absentee because I was Election Judging in anotehr Precient. My ballot had better not been rejected.

[Jim Rongstad]

Ah, isn't democracy wonderful. Both these guys got basically the same number of votes and we are spending (wasting) how much to see who got a couple more than the other?

No matter who "wins" this fiasco, basically 58% of the voters wanted someone else.

Why not save the money and flip a coin.

[L D Nelson]

Hey, lets enjoy this recount. No matter who wins, Franken or Coleman, the recount process here in Minnesota is organized, open, clean and a template for handling extremely close elections. It is a great civics lesson for all.

And the moral of the story is every vote counts.

[Jim Rongstad]

"And the moral of the story is every vote counts."

That's a knee slapper Loyal!

The election process in Minnesota and the rest of the US is rigged to favor the Democrats and Republicans. Try getting on the ballot as an independent or third party candidate sometime.

While Minnesota makes it more difficult to get on the ballot for independents and third party candidates, in some states (Oklahoma) it is virtually impossible.