# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/141 "2008-11-07T03:34:41Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Do you guys think Minnesota should go to a Georgia style run off and just revote? Absolutely. But does Minnesota law allow for that? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/142 "2008-11-07T03:40:49Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Has there been a closer Senate race in modern history? The 1974 election in New Hampshire was so close (at different point, a ten-vote margin to John Durkin and a two-vote margin to Louis Wyman) that [it was voided and another election held in 1975](http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Closest_election_in_Senate_history.htm) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/143 "2008-11-07T03:47:27Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > There’s a statistically significant number of Somali-Americans in Minnesota?! If it’s been verified that there’s at least one, then the answer is yes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Understander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3da27b/32.png) [@The\_Understander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Understander)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/144 "2008-11-07T03:58:57Z")
Wow, after the excitement of Barack Obama winning it all… we get overtime with this race. All the drama of 2000 without the world going kersplat if it falls the wrong way. This is cool! \ ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/145 "2008-11-07T04:01:41Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > If it’s been verified that there’s at least one, then the answer is yes. That’s an ethical answer, not a statistical one. ---
**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, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/146 "2008-11-07T04:24:03Z")
Minnesota has a long standing tradition of acceptance of refugees. Hmong, Somalis, others. State documents are printed in about 7 languages. People who pretend to be that nice are up to something, and if I’m here long enough, maybe I’ll figure it out. Not yet. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/147 "2008-11-07T04:38:34Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > I wonder when provisional ballots come into this. Never – we don’t have such things in Minnesota. They are unnecessary here. Most of them are for people where there is a question about whether they were registered in time. Minnesota has same-day registration, so if your name isn’t on the registration rolls, you just have to register again right then, and then you get a regular ballot to vote. Note that we had the highest voter turnout of any state in the USA for this election (about 78%). And I believe the other states with same-day registration were also near the top. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/148 "2008-11-07T04:47:17Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Do you guys think Minnesota should go to a Georgia style run off and just revote? Current Minnesota law doesn’t allow that.\* But if it did, Franken would win. Many of the 15% who voted for Independence Party candidate Barkley would switch back. And his vote was about 9% DFL votes and 6% Republican votes. - But the law does allow for Instant Runoff Voting in local elections. Under this, you rank all the candidates from 1st choice to last choice, and those are counted, in order, until one candidate gets over 50%. Effectively a primary, a general, and a runoff election, all in one. Currently a few local cities use this. The largest city in the state, Minneapolis, is scheduled to start using it next year (but may not be able to do so, due to President Bush messing with the Elections Commission so they can’t approve any machines that are capable of counting this), and the 2nd largest city, St. Paul is considering switching to this. ---
**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 7, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/149 "2008-11-07T05:19:09Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Absolutely. But does Minnesota law allow for that? There are no run offs. If this ends in a tie, state law calls for it to be decided by “lot.” It would probably be a coin toss. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/150 "2008-11-07T05:33:07Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Current Minnesota law doesn’t allow that.\* > > But if it did, Franken would win. Many of the 15% who voted for Independence Party candidate Barkley would switch back. And his vote was about 9% DFL votes and 6% Republican votes. > > - But the law does allow for Instant Runoff Voting in local elections. Under this, you rank all the candidates from 1st choice to last choice, and those are counted, in order, until one candidate gets over 50%. Effectively a primary, a general, and a runoff election, all in one. > > Currently a few local cities use this. The largest city in the state, Minneapolis, is scheduled to start using it next year (but may not be able to do so, due to President Bush messing with the Elections Commission so they can’t approve any machines that are capable of counting this), and the 2nd largest city, St. Paul is considering switching to this. Is the legislature considering it for state, and/or U.S. House and Senate, elections? Maybe after this they will. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/151 "2008-11-07T05:49:03Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Is the legislature considering it for state, and/or U.S. House and Senate, elections? > > Maybe after this they will. Not as long as Tim Pawlenty is Governor – he would have lost both times if votes were counted this way. And a bunch of other Republican elected officials (like Michelle Bachman & Erik Paulson) win only because 3rd party candidates pull away enough DFL votes. Any kind of runoff system in Minnesota would result in Republicans losing close races that they win now. So it will only pass if Democrats win the Governorship, or veto-proof control of both houses (they have one, but are 3 votes short in the other). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/152 "2008-11-07T06:06:25Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > There are no run offs. If this ends in a tie, state law calls for it to be decided by “lot.” It would probably be a coin toss. !!! Has it ever actually been done that way? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/153 "2008-11-07T06:55:53Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > !!! Has it ever actually been done that way? I don’t know of any statewide Minnesota election that has been tied. Closest was in 1962, when it took until March, 1963 to decide the winner by 91 votes. It’s happened occasionally in local elections, though, both in Minnesota and other states. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/154 "2008-11-07T13:28:51Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Never – we don’t have such things in Minnesota. > > They are unnecessary here. Most of them are for people where there is a question about whether they were registered in time. Minnesota has same-day registration, so if your name isn’t on the registration rolls, you just have to register again right then, and then you get a regular ballot to vote. > > Note that we had the highest voter turnout of any state in the USA for this election (about 78%). And I believe the other states with same-day registration were also near the top. That sounds like a very good system. What are the drawbacks to same day registration? What is required to registered? What happens if it is discovered the registration was a fraud? ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/155 "2008-11-07T13:51:12Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > That’s an ethical answer, not a statistical one. We’re talking about an entire population (of registered voters). What do you think significance would even mean in this situation? ---
**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 7, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/156 "2008-11-07T15:23:14Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > That sounds like a very good system. > > What are the drawbacks to same day registration? What is required to registered? What happens if it is discovered the registration was a fraud? There are no drawbacks I know of and I’ve never heard of any serious allegation of voter fraud. My wife registered to vote when she became a citizen, but on election day her registration had disappeared from the rolls. They let her register on the spot so she got to vote. In many other states that would not have been the case. In North Dakota, on the other hand, there is no voter registration at all! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/157 "2008-11-07T15:30:07Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Interesting development . . .](http://wcco.com/election/voter.irregularities.allegations.2.857437.html) > > 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?! My mother in law works with FIFTY Somali women in a SEWING CIRCLE - she volunteers to work with Somali immigrants. This is in a single highrise in the Seward neighborhood In a class of thirty, my daughter has two Somalis in her class. (Minnesota got a significant number of Hmong immigrants as well. The Luthern church here is very big on immigrant sponsorship). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/158 "2008-11-07T15:32:42Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > In North Dakota, on the other hand, there is no voter registration at all! Eh? Do they just let anybody vote who shows up at the polls? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/159 "2008-11-07T15:35:59Z")
Same day registration in Minnesota: > **[Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State](https://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/?page=12&select_faq_by_faq_cat=2)** > > Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State (I’ve voted when recently moved on the vouching thing by saying to someone in line “hey, I just moved here, will you vouch me” - and they DID! I must look honest. I HAD just moved there.) ---
**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 7, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/160 "2008-11-07T16:49:29Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Eh? Do they just let anybody vote who shows up at the polls? The thinking is everyone knows everyone else. You would think I was kidding, but no. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239.md?page=9)