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Coleman-Franken vote recount to start Nov. 19

Posted 5:36 pm, November 5th, 2008 by Bob Geiger, Staff Writer, Finance and Commerce

Minnesotans who just can’t get enough of elections will get their wish starting Nov. 19, when a state recount of the 2.9 million ballots cast in the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and DFL challenger Al Franken starts.

Mark Ritchie, Minnesota Secretary of State, outlined the ballot recount process for media – some asking how little, if any, sleep they had during Tuesday night’s election coverage – during a Wednesday briefing at the State Office Building. As it turns out, the Coleman-Franken race is one of four Minnesota races that meet the legal standard to trigger a recount.

Franken trailed Coleman by 725 votes, just three one-hundredths of 1 percent, as most of Coleman’s midnight lead of 18,000 votes in nation’s most expensive Senate race disappeared overnight. Ballots cast in three legislative races also will be recounted after the State Canvassing Board meets Nov. 18. The winning margins in all three legislative races to be recounted are less than 100 votes.

Races with impending recounts are Minnesota Senate District 16, in which DFLer Lisa A. Fobbe holds a 96-vote lead over Republican Alison Krueger; House District 16A, where 99 votes separate DFLer Gail Kulick Jackson and incumbent Republican state Rep. Sondra Erickson; and House District 12B, where DFL state Rep. Al Doty holds a 76-vote lead over Republican challenger Mike LeMieur.

Ritchie said hand-counting of ballots cost 3 cents per ballot, or about $87,000 for the 2.9 million ballots cast statewide. The recount process likely will involve up to 300 people and stretch into December, Ritchie said.

“Minnesotans are anxious to know who will represent them, but they also want to be sure that all ballots are properly counted,” said Ritchie in prepared statements distributed to the media. “With the help of our county partners and the cooperation of the candidates, it is our hope that all of these recounts can be completed as quickly as possible with complete accuracy and transparency.”

And, hopefully, four winners.