# How's Al Franken's Senate bid going? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 12, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239 "2008-02-12T01:57:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/121 "2008-11-06T05:08:29Z")
[QUOTE=Coleman has, naturally, asked that Franken just accept things as is. Franken, naturally, is not going to do that.[/QUOTE] Fargin yeah. I’d think even James Lileks would be for a recount. And yeah, .04% is definitely recount territory. I’m sure the taxpayers can carry that weight. :b ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/122 "2008-11-06T13:37:49Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Maybe I misunderstand the law but I thought it was the margin of victory between the candidates that mattered. From [here](http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/main.results/#S)I got: > Coleman: 1,211,644 > Franken: 1,211,167 > > 1,211,167/1,211,644 = 0.9996 > > That is a 0.04% difference. > > Ok…I somehow screwed up my math :smack: What about the votes for the third-party candidate? Wouldn’t you have to account for them somehow in case some of them were meant for Franken or Coleman but the machine read them wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/123 "2008-11-06T13:47:06Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > Wait, why is Coleman saying that Franken would have to “pursue an official review” and that it’s up to him? I thought it was mandatory because of the closeness of the election. There are some people in government who feel the law is a serious impediment to getting their job done. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/124 "2008-11-06T14:22:01Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > Wait, why is Coleman saying that Franken would have to “pursue an official review” and that it’s up to him? I thought it was mandatory because of the closeness of the election. It is mandatory however if Franken would just concede at this point then no recount would happen. Coleman is suggesting he do this in the “name of saving taxpayer money”. A recount will cost the state something like $90K. If Coleman was really that concerned about $90K he would concede himself but we know that ain’t gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/125 "2008-11-06T21:33:00Z")
I heard on MPR a few minutes ago Franken is now only 300 or so votes behind. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/126 "2008-11-06T22:10:13Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > I heard on MPR a few minutes ago Franken is now only 300 or so votes behind. > **[FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul | Local News, Weather, and Live Streams | KMSP-TV](https://www.fox9.com/)** > > Minneapolis-St. Paul news, Minnesota weather, traffic and sports from FOX 9, serving the Twin Cities metro, Greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Official home of Minnesota Vikings football. Get Minnesota breaking news updates and stream FOX 9... 342 according to this article. Wednesday morning it was more like 700. IMO, damn right he should get a recount. Whether you like Franken or not (I do, but that’s beside the point), people put a lot of time, energy, and money into his campaign—they deserve a recount. And with that lead cut to half already, it makes me wonder. Who’s voting, who’s not allowed to vote, are they counting the absentee votes, etc.? In a close race, that can make all the difference. After the Florida snafu with Bush/Gore, I think the\_least\_election\_officials\_can\_do\_is\_get\_the\_count\_right. Whether Franken wins on a recount or not is beside the point. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/127 "2008-11-06T22:26:31Z")
Norm’s lead is now 336. I wonder when provisional ballots come into this. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/128 "2008-11-06T22:43:28Z")
\*Republican Sen. Norm Coleman’s lead over Democrat Al Franken grew to 590 votes late Thursday afternoon. That was up from 342 votes early in the day on Thursday. With nearly 2.9 million ballots cast, that’s a difference between the top two candidates of about one one-hundredth of a percentage point. The unofficial returns are being revised as election officials double-check their figures. John Aiken, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, said one of the differences Thursday was due to a correction from Pine County, where a township discovered it had misreported Franken’s 124 votes as just 24.\* [underlining mine] DOH! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/129 "2008-11-06T22:47:48Z")
Another point they made on the news last night is that since the recount is done by hand it will find ballots that the machines didn’t read. Minnesota uses a ballot that has the voter fill in circles for their picks with a black pen (like an SAT test) and then feeds the ballot into a machine. If someone simply circled the circle, put an X on the circle, or circled the candidates name the machines wouldn’t have counted it. These will get included in the hand count if the voters intent is agreed upon. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/130 "2008-11-06T22:54:12Z")
[Interesting development . . .](http://wcco.com/election/voter.irregularities.allegations.2.857437.html) > [@](#): > > A reporter for the Minnesota Independent, a progressive online publication, was working on a story about voter turnout when she overheard that Republican poll challengers monitoring voting at the precinct had brought in Mahamoud Wardere to help voters translate. > > The Coleman campaign confirmed that Wardere is a paid member of their staff. > > “I made some calls, found out his name and I confronted him and I said, ‘Are you Wardare?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I am,’” said Priesmeyer. “At that poin I said, ‘Are you working for Norm Coleman’s campaign?’ And he said, ‘No, I am on vacation today.’” > > However, Priesmeyer said voters told her that translators were telling them to vote for Coleman. > > “I had already spoken to at least three people who told me that translators were telling them to vote for Norm Coleman,” she said. > > The issue could end up being the basis of a legal challenge. According to Prof. Joe Daly of Hamline University, state election law has a provision that if there is a deliberate, serious or material violation of state election law, a district court judge must gather the evidence and present it to the presiding officer of the U.S. Senate, who would then decide the merits of the allegations. > > The Senate could even revoke the results of the election and decide who would be seated as senator. Wardere, BTW, apparently was offering his services as a translator between English and Somali. There’s a statistically significant number of Somali-Americans in Minnesota?! ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/131 "2008-11-06T23:03:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Wardere, BTW, apparently was offering his services as a translator between English and Somali. There’s a statistically significant number of Somali-Americans in Minnesota?! I guess so…:eek: > **[MDGWIN: Review Shako Tercanggih 2026, Fitur & Harga](https://www.chennaibizbook.com/diagnostic-centers/bioline-laboratory/dcJc3dxHQ0JCTDEyNjE=/)** > > Update review Shako tercanggih 2026 di MDGWIN. Simak fitur unggulan, kelebihan, serta informasi harga terbaru sebelum kamu memutuskan untuk menggunakannya. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/132 "2008-11-06T23:06:48Z")
When the difference is 300 or so, every group will have an impact. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/133 "2008-11-06T23:17:52Z")
_The Minneapolis Foundation reports that the four largest immigrant groups in the state are Somalis, Russian, Mexican, and Laotian (Hmong). They estimate that more than 15,000 Somalians now live in Minnesota, the largest Somalian population in the U.S._ [http://www.ethnicharvest.org/regions/states/MN.htm](http://www.ethnicharvest.org/regions/states/MN.htm) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/134 "2008-11-07T00:34:35Z")
The freak show continues… [http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews\_story.asp?z=16&a=369895](http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=369895) \*BUHL, Minn. – Elections and campaign officials waited and waited into Wednesday for a final tally of votes in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race. In northeastern Minnesota, the town of Buhl’s ballots had been cast but not counted in statewide totals. It turns out election officials there counted the votes but never called them in. \ Coleman received 152 votes in Buhl and Franken got 343, for a difference of 191 in the Democratic candidate’s favor. Not enough to change the results, but enough to tighten the contest even more. \* Between that and Pine County shorting him 100 votes, that’s 291. Throw in the Somali “translator,” and who knows? Whether Franken wins or loses, holy shit! ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/135 "2008-11-07T00:58:27Z")
I think it’s odd, though perhaps my memory is fooling me, but it seems like that recounts always narrow the margin but never widen it. Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/136 "2008-11-07T01:16:14Z")
Has there been a closer Senate race in modern history? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/137 "2008-11-07T01:24:39Z")
“Landslide Lyndon” won (and I use the word advisedly…) his election to the US Senate by 87 votes. Well, yeah, its pretty dicey. Well, yeah, he stole it. Forget it, Jake, its Amarillo. (If you’re feeling citey, google “Landslide Lyndon”. Texas politics is not for the meek, nor is its history for the easily shocked.) ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/138 "2008-11-07T01:27:21Z")
Franken down 236 now. Think Coleman will keep his word if Franken is winning after the initial count? ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/139 "2008-11-07T01:29:25Z")
> **[FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul](https://www.fox9.com/)** > > Minneapolis-St. Paul news, Minnesota weather, traffic and sports from FOX 9, serving the Twin Cities metro, Greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Official home of Minnesota Vikings football. Get Minnesota breaking news updates and stream FOX 9... Thursday, Franken gained a hundred votes all because an election official in Pine County didn’t put a “one” in their vote tally when sending it to the Secretary of State’s website. Those are the kind of errors that recounts are meant to correct, and recent history shows those recounts in Minnesota do change elections. In 2006, in the race for St. Louis county attorney, election night results showed incumbent Allen Mitchell with just 53 more votes than his opponent Melanie Ford. The recount found a number of discrepancies. One probably involved election judges in the city of Tower putting votes in the wrong column. On election night, they recorded Mitchell as having 113 votes, and Ford as having 94. Per recount, the numbers were exactly the opposite. When the recount was finished, it was Ford who won the election. The recount found a swing of 141 votes that the St. Louis County Auditor attributes to simple mistakes. \ There was also a state Senate recount in 2002 in the 27th district that includes Austin, Minn. In that race, the final recount actually took votes away from State Senator Dan Sparks, but did not change the outcome. He still ended up winning, but by just 7 votes. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/140 "2008-11-07T03:22:55Z")
Do you guys think Minnesota should go to a Georgia style run off and just revote? It scares me whenever vote counts change when they count them again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239.md?page=8)