One challenge headed to the state so far in Plymouth
Posted on November 19th, 2008 – 1:47 PMBy James Shiffer
The bubble beside Norm Coleman’s name appeared to have both an X and a squiggle in it, but the Al Franken campaign wants the state Canvassing Board to rule on whether it should count. That’s the only challenge in the special envelope in Plymouth so far, according to Sandy Engdahl, the city clerk and the official running the city recount.
The Canada geese milling on the grounds and parking lot of Plymouth City Hall were oblivious to the gaggle of election officials and observers inside. The drone of “Franken” and “Coleman” was accompanied by the swishing of paper in Medicine Lake Room A. Early on, Engdahl had to admonish some candidate representatives from trying to tell her counters how to count. Clearly, she said, the recount watchers are “very passionate,” but she has to remind them of everyone’s roles in this civic drama.
Eight of the 24 precincts had been counted by 1:45 p.m., and the only challenged ballot, in Engdahl’s view, was clearly a vote for Coleman. Nevertheless, the Franken campaign was allowed to seek a second opinion.
1,317 Responses to "One challenge headed to the state so far in Plymouth"
That’s my vote. I tried to write in Prince.
If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted!!!!
now if the cameras and press are being told to stay back in other precints, how come the strib got a picture of a challenged ballot? And for the record…i think the voter’s intent was to put an x in coleman’s oval, then realized that they had to fill in the whole thing… or maybe that they filled it in and then wanted to cancel or maybe….
What does the rest of the ballot look like? If it’s covered with perfectly-filled in ovals, than this is probably a mistake that the voter tried to eradicate and shouldn’t be counted. If all the other marks on the ballot are as slipshod as this one, then it should be counted as a legitimate vote.
Mickey – I don’t recall hearing that from you in 2000 when Florida votes were being examined.
I agree with Shiffer that the vote is clearly for Coleman. If the voter wanted to change their vote, they would have requested a new ballot.
“this is probably a mistake that the voter tried to eradicate”
Congrats, phh. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve seen on the internet today.
Oh, I beg your pardon, Mr. Jass. I suppose I should have said “it should be counted for Coleman, regardless of the obvious intent of the voter.” Let’s just count ALL the votes for Coleman! Then we can wrap this up in an evening and go out for beer.
[...] to Ace and The American Spectator and The Star Tribune for pulling this [...]
I agree with phh. How could anyone think that this person wanted to vote for Coleman. Can I get a rock now.
[...] votes as he can Franken has taken to challenging ballots, suggesting some shouldn’t count. Here is one such ballot he has decided to [...]
Looks to me like someone started to make an X but then changed their mind and crossed it out.
ROFL! Franken, the clown, would be laughed out of my state!
[...] Here is one of the challenged ballots–this individual voter’s intent wasn’t quite clear, which is why voting officials have such a difficult task ahead of them. Send to: [...]
Why not just call him and ask. Could not they check the ballot with a name?
Craig
[...] Whistleblower » Blog Archive » One challenge headed to the state so far in Plymouth The bubble beside Norm Coleman’s name appeared to have both an X and a squiggle in it, but the Al Franken campaign wants the state Canvassing Board to rule on whether it should count. That’s the only challenge in the special envelope in Plymouth so far, according to Sandy Engdahl, the city clerk and the official running the city recount. [...]
Let’s have the Secretary of State’s office to publish PDF scans of each and every challenged ballot.
It’s obvious that this guy is sloppy, and he probably got a poor SAT score because the machine couldn’t read the oval properly, but he’s still one hundred times smarter THAN THE IDIOTS IN FLORIDA WHO COULDN’T USE A BUTTERFLY BALLOT!
If the guy put an “X” next to Franken, and had this scribble next to Coleman, then *perhaps* Franken would have a case. A reasonable person could see that situation. Here, the only reasonable conslusions are (1) he was sloppy & wanted Coleman, or (2) voted for Coleman, changed his mind, scribbled it out, then thought “throw all the bums out,” decided not to vote and then angrily left the booth.
My guess? Marked the bubble with an X first. Then realized he/she should probably fill it in a little more.
Duh.
Palm Beach County would’ve counted that as two votes for Gore in 2000 …..
Or, perhaps he just wanted to confuse and confound election judges in the event of a recount!
I know, he was psychic and forsaw that if he marked his ballot exactly that way, his ballot would waste all our time with this endless bickering.
Whether I like the vote or not, I tend to feel that if a voter made a strong mark in a circle and only one circle, then the vote should be counted for that candidate. The voter did not Mark either of the other two candidates, the voter just marked one circle.
If you have trouble with this line of reasoning, be sure it still holds up if the vote was for the candidate of your choice and not against your choice.
Lots of people voting have trouble with eye-hand coordination. This should not be a barrier to casting a vote. The person who mentioned wanting to see the rest of the ballot had a point, but still, lacking any other evidence, the lack of a clearer indication suggests that this should be a vote for Coleman even though I much prefer Franken myself.
I also much prefer the voting machines we used in Cook County Illinois. They were electronic, but printed a paper record that you could verify before casting your ballot, so that in the event of a recount there was a crystal clear record to verify of your vote. No chads, bubbles, etc to worry about. If I was to standardize the country, that’s the one I would pick.
Peter, Editor and Spell Wrecker
Peter’s Blog of Comedy
Http://thepeterfiles.blogspot.com
I made a mistake in the link in my name above. Don’t click on my name above to go to my blog. Thank you. This one is OK.
[...] Me, James linked to it all-along. You just had to click the image. http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/whistleblower/2008/11/19/one-challenge-headed-to-the-state-so-fa… [...]
Unfortunately this is a partial ballot of one of hundreds of challenged ballots. It’s too bad that this is the only challenged ballot being shown because it makes the Franken campaign look like they will do anything to try to win this.
No matter who you wish to win, it’s obvious the person marked Coleman and that is who the vote should count for. Much like NFL replay, there is nothing here to definitely overturn that intent.
It’s not Al and Norm doing this personally but rather people representing them and they are just doing their job to question anything they feel is not 100% obvious. I’m sure we’d all laugh at some of the challenges by both parties if we could see them all, but it’s still their choice.
With that being said, both campaigns do have the choice to challenge any ballot that they believe could be overturned.
[...] does Team Franken? They challenged this ballot yesterday as unclear on voter [...]
It is obviously from a racist voter who wanted to vote for Franken because he preferred misogynist tax cheats who will humiliate Minnesota, but poked himself in the eye while genuflecting towards the blow-up Obama doll in the voting precinct.
Ah, Democrats. Relying on the idiot vote since 1776.
[...] Is this ballot clear to you? It is to me. Al Franken’s campaign is arguing that the intent of this voter is unknown. (LINK) [...]
Al Franken was never that funny as a comedian and I can see that he is still trying to be funny by running for a Senate seat. We are all going to die. Minnesota get your head out of the dirt and think of what you are doing.
are you freakin kidding me? Good grief Al …you lost!
[...] Reeking of Desperation Jump to Comments From the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: Eight of the 24 precincts had been counted by 1:45 p.m., and the only challenged ballot, in [...]
If he had made a single X or clearly filled in the bubble for another senate candidate, then it would be clear this wasn’t a Coleman vote. As it is, this would have to be a coleman vote.
But, Democrats, if you want this type of vote not counted in the future across the board, Republicans will surely agree not to count this ballot.
So – Franken wants to challenge this one where there’s an obvious mark next to Coleman, and expect people to accept it as a legitimate challenge….
But he also wants to challenge ballots where NO vote next to either his or Coleman’s name was placed, because the vote was cast in an Obama-won area… ASSUMING that they would have wanted to vote for him with NO EVIDENCE THAT’S TRUE?
What a clown – ( my apologies to all the clowns in the world – no offense ).
[...] By the way, as Franken attempts to steal an election he lost outright, he has been piously calling for “every vote to be counted”. Mighty big of him, huh? Apparently, “count every vote” means “don’t count this one“: [...]
Al Franken the new Al Gore.
Good grief can dems never accept the vote of the people?
When will dems accept democracy?
If the voter didn’t want to vote for Coleman, why didn’t the voter fill in another bubble. It’s possible the voter didn’t want to vote for his senator at all, but then the voter should have gotten a new ballot.
Franken is a jerk. Every time I see his photo I want to just smack that obnoxious grin off his face.
“The Canada geese milling on the grounds and parking lot of Plymouth City Hall were oblivious to the gaggle of election officials and observers inside.” Who cares about the vote-James Shiffer needs an education in reporting
A vote layed is a vote played.
If “Completely fill in the bubble next to your selected candidate” is too friggin hard for an American to figure out then they don’t get a vote. Period.
If this were Florida in 2000, and that mess of a squiggle was next to Al Gore’s name, Franken would demand that it be counted.
Pure example of Libitards. The only thing in question is was it explained to the voter how to mark their vote. The questions IS NOT who this voter voted for. But yet, loony Franken schooled by Reid and Pelosi want to churn the vote waters again and again and again with their lunacy. When will we, the citizens of the USA, get tired of Libitards?
Stick with comedy Franken, your politics aren’t suck, and its making your comedy act sour…
I can’t tell. Looks pregnant to me.
You have to be a real left wingnut Kool-Aid drinker to think that this ballot is anything other than a vote for Coleman. The fact that this is even challenged shows how anti-democratic the Democrats really are.
The person has alshimers so he forgot who to vote for and crossed out the conserative first then the wrote them in, the guy just had bad hand control. his vote should be for the indipendent.
It was clearly a vote against Coleman…I can see an “x” and an “a” in there.I can also see a girls face looking away from me…and a pretty white puffy cloud. Who ever wrote that bubble was very talented so that would also make him a Franken voter. Case closed.
Thats why we were told so many times to “stay within the lines.”
so obviously a vote for coleman and not for al franken..
man this is getting weird
no other marks by the other candidates except Coleman, don’t know how anyone could consider it anything but a vote for Coleman…
everyone saying “If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted!!!!” probably complained about hanging chads and complained about that evil George W. Bush cheating his way to victory in FL/2000…
Why is it liberals blast the least common sense ideas, yet use every opportunity to take away others’ right to speak?!
Once again we’re in a crisis because moron voters either can’t punch out a square or fill in a circle.
This DOES appear to be TWO VOTES for Al Gore in Florida. We should immediately demand that they (both votes) be added to his total and that a RE-COUNT of those Palm Beach ballots be undertaken IMMEDIATELY! Of course, I could be mistaken; in which case we should ALSO count this as PROOF that Coleman is trying to TRICK the voters of Mn…thereby rendering his own candidacy null and void…and AUTOMATICALLY electing Al Franken. As usual…the dems are following their standard “…by any means necessary” philosophy.
Whoever the voter was DIDN’T WRITE ANYTHING NEXT TO FRANKEN, so what’s his gripe-the voter did or didn’t want Coleman – but one thing for sure, Franken wasn’t a consideration!
Al Franken… Airhead America while he was in charge stole $800,000 from the NYC Boys and Girls Club and yet liberal clowns vote for this piece of crap?
I sure if this ballot was marked for Franken, he would have no problem with Limpet or his loser friends.
[...] the only challenge so far in the great state of [...]
my understanding is that if you have a problem or make a mistake on the ballot, the individuals running the polling place will gladly give you a new one. if this ballot was submitted as-is, with the assumption that he/she was satisfied w/ all markings/votes on the ballot, it’s reasonable to say that the voter intended to vote for coleman. but, “reason” and “franken” both end in the letter “n”. that’s where the similarity stops.
Clearly this was a vote for Dean Barkley.
Illinois voting is now taking hold in the heartland. Will New Jersey and other socialist leaning states be spared? I recently went to the House of Terror in Budapest – Communistic style of dishonest elections are not nice. Next the police will come and bet you up for not voting “correctly” and then medical care will be withheld because you didn’t vote correctly.
Desperation never smelled so sour.
Franken is a sore loser. Pathetic!
He’s an example of what the future holds thanks to the lib-tards that piss and whine like toddlers until they get their way.
He didn’t vote for anyone else so it goes to Coleman.
Gee, did the voter then fill anything else out? Duh no. Typicla Democrap trying to steal the election. Franken, you ass if acorn couldn’t bring the vote in for you it’s time to move on. MAybe you can get another radio show now that free speach in in jepordy.
Obviously there was cheating going on with new registrations, so why not cheat here as well. Somebody should write a book: “Al Franken is a Big, Fat, Tax-Dodging, Cheating, Idiot”, with a sub-title “He also takes money from Boys & Girls Club for failed radio programs”.
P.S. Al…please don’t physically attack me.
I know it sounds crazy, but I have a whole trunk full of those.
Franken was yelling the loudest saying Bush “stole” an election. I guess its ok now for a Dem to do the same.
Apparantly,
The family trees in MN don’t appear to have a any branches. Jesse Ventura and now Al Franken? You folks are starting to make States like Kentucky and Missouri seem like bastions of intellect. What a bunch of retards
I’m sorry to have to say this in polite company, but this is the state that elected Jesse “9/11 Truther” Ventura as governor, it may be possible that even an asshat like Franken can’t embarrass them.
Al Franken is a big fat cheater.
Dude, that vote got spit OUT when it went through the optical scanner. They had the opportunity to re-do their ballot, and they didn’t. The vote doesn’t count. It should be the EXACT same thing for any votes looking like that on Franken’s side as well. Jeeze boys, put the votes through the scanners again and if they don’t go through, they DON’T COUNT. There was a lady sitting RIGHT THERE handing out ballots and telling you how to fill in the circle (she had a VISUAL AID!). There was someone standing by the door CATCHING people if their ballot didn’t go through and offering them a chance to re-do, have it not count, or assist them (with a member of the opposite party) to fill in the circles completely. If you don’t wish to take the time to re-do your vote, then your vote SHOULDN’T COUNT. Holy cow. Not difficult. No one being disenfranchised here –they had the chance, they chose not to follow up on it.
Since when is Franken a “farmer?”
I bet I know who he didn’t vote for!!! Let me guess, I don’t think he voted for the smart ass hack comic!
The Franken Campaign just “jumped the shark”. With no added marks in the other spaces this obviously is a vote for Coleman.
At the nursing home where I work people mark like this all of the time. Don’t make more of a mark than it is. The space next to Coleman is MARKED!
If “Completely fill in the bubble next to your selected candidate” is too friggin hard for an American to figure out then they don’t get a vote. Period.
My friend James has Parkinson’s disease and his hand shakes. This very easily could have been his ballot. To require someone to neatly fill in a bubble would in effect disinfranchise him.
So, OK, let’s assume the bubble was marked in error and the voter tried to correct his mistake.
So, like, what was the other bubble he properly filled in to indicate his real vote?
How can you tell that the X was made first, then scribbled over? How can you tell that there is even a X there at all.
Should we prevent people from voting just because they have poor penmanship?
The voter could be suffering from cataracts. The voter might have a muscular disorder that makes it near impossible to fill in the circle/oval/elipse neatly.
What does the rest of the ballot look like. Are the marks similar?
Can you imagine what our forefathers would think witnessing this process? The person obviously voted for Coleman. Perhaps it was an elderly or vision impaired person. it’s pathetic that we still have write in ballots, but can’t we at least be fair? Is it really win at any costs, despite what the will of the people is? No wonder so many people don;t follow politics any more, because the process is a joke now. Both sides are guilty.
Why this is even debated is beyond me. Anyone who cannot see that this a vote for Coleman has got serious, serious problems.
The ONLY way to resolve it is to ask the voter himself/herself. No one can gauge intent by looking at a piece of paper; you can only surmise and draw conclusions.
Where, and when can I get a T-Shirt with this graphic on it?
How about a CANCELLED VOTE? Maybe Franken is challenging that this voter is a freakin idiot and that the vote shouldn’t count!
If this were a case of someone trying to “cross out” an unintentional vote for Coleman, it should be counted as a vote for Coleman. If you make a mistake on a ballot, you can always ask for a clean one. This definitely smacks of desperation on the part of Franken and co.
That cheap scum not funny evil twerp should just GO HOME. That was a vote for the American!!!
If your to stupid to properly fill in a ballot, or request a new one if you made a mistake, then you shouldnt be voting. And I say this as a Republican that voted for McCain this past election for those that would say Im a biased Democrat and dont want the vote to count because its for Coleman.
Much like the 55.5% of Obama voters that were surveyed that said either the Republicans had the majority in the Senate or niether party did prior to the election. (see zogby study here http://www.zogby.com/news/wf-dfs.pdf )
There is ink in the box labeled Coleman, there is nothing complicated about this. The vote was for Norm and shame on Franken for disenfranchising any voter.
First Jessie the bod, now Al Frankin the IDIOT! How embarrassing for you in Mn. Whos next Pee Wee Herman? WTF
No more “Als” on the ballot.
As a certified tax cheat, I put nothing by the creep in trying to steal the election.
It’s hard to fill in th oval if you have arthritis…
Hey! That’s my ballot, I was trying to vote for the FABULOUS Richard Simmons.
If a person cannot vote correctly his vote should not count. I don’t care who he voted for, but intent is not a vote. We should do like the Iraqis, blue permanent ink on the right index finger…you stick your finger next to the people you want to vote for on a piece of paper. No chads, no intent, no multiple voting. Everyone votes on the same day, bring your ID get in line, dip your finger in ink and vote. If you want to vote twice, you have to cut your finger off…lets see ACORN get around that.
Are you people kidding me? The same state that elected an ex-wrestler as govenor now is close to electing an ex comedian (now flaming liberal pinko commie – and I apologize to flaming liberal pinkos everywhere for the comparison) as their Senator? Ya’ll need to get a life…..
I too think that Al should question this. Can’t you see that the straighter line of the X is pointing up towards Barkley, yet down towards Franken. But yet that same line is closer to Barkley. There is no doubt whatsoever that this definately was not a vote for Coleman. It was 100% for Barkley. Long live the Independence Party!
Mistake or not, its the only box with a mark in it…it counts! Next time get another ballot or don’t vote at all.
What ever happened to the Dem mantra, “let every vote count”? I guess it only applies to votes for a Dem.
If you make a mistake you are able to request a new ballot.
The voter’s intent is clear that they wanted Coleman.
Minnesota is joke
Jesse Ventura is a joke
Stuart Smalley is a joke
and so is Roy Smalley
Minnesota: Grow up & Get a life
I hope they recount and it comes down to a one vote margin of victory for Coleman… Al Frankensteins head might just explode from frustration – that will make a great SNL skit.
Ru kidding me, its filled in, perhaps not all the way, but filled in. This is the supposedly “fair” Democrat party in action.
We should implement a new “Gore/Franken Vote Counting Rule” for all future elections:
1. If a vote is the least bit questionable for a Republican, Third Party Candidate, or Independent candidate, it shall instead be counted in favor of the Democratic candidate.
2. If a vote is the least bit questionable for a Democrat candidate it shall be counted as a valid vote for the Democratic candidate.
This would clear up a lot of the controversy in future elections.
Congratulations Minnesota,
After the all the votes are in, you have won the dumbest state in America award.
(Why was this race even close??)
Al Franken?? Are you serious???
“Clearly this was a vote for Dean Barkley.”
LOL!! What is this a F*ckin SAT test? If you don’t fill in the bubble all the way your answer doesn’t count? What was this guy supposed to do, fill in the bubble with his own blood?
Now I don’t know how things are done in Minnesota but in Missouri if you make a mistake you can request another ballot and the original is destroyed. Considering neither of the other two are marked I’m under the impression they voted for Coleman. That they x’d it and then realized they had to fill the oval. In fact you can follow the line as they rounded the circle and continued to form the x within the circle, same line. Maybe you all ought to pass a constitutional amendment allowing voters to request a new ballot if they make a mistake or believe they have.
This voter was thinking out of the oval, not out of the box. If this election ends up being decided by a few dozen votes, someone can always contact this voter to find out who this vote was really for. Sure looks like Coleman.
I think the funniest thing on that ballot is that Al Franken says he’s a “Farmer”….. Is that most ridiculous thing of all???? Here’s a failed talk show radio host trying to portray himself as a “farmer” and “labor”. Or is he claiming to be a member of three political parties? Whichever way it is, it’s quite silly and stupid. The scary part is people who really don’t know anything about him will think he’s a farmer.
It just proves that not all the idiots are democRATS… Or maybe they are and Franklin even scare him/her to vote repulican… You just never know.
Most of these posts are from intelligent people with common sense. Let’s hear from those of you with below average intelligence (PC for stupid) who have actually voted in this election and area. I’ll bet you had no trouble in filling out the ballots.
On second thought, these people probably don’t have a computer, nor would they know how to turn one on. But some could at least be viewing this blog.
If Coleman found a vote like this for the nappy-headed franken, I’m sure it wouldn’t be disputed. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that most politicians work for the KGB, trying to destroy the United States from within.
You know my 96 year old aunt had trouble filling in the blanks. I would think someone with pudgy hands may have problems staying within the lines as well. That all seems feasible, much more so than having an imbecile like Franken win, he truly is a moron!
This is the first time Franken has said anything funny. Maybe he should be a comedian
Lame.
It’s obvious that the person first thought that they should ‘X’ in the vote, then saw that it should be filled. A no brainer unless you’re a logical idiot.
Wow! What is in the water in Minnesota? The cold must freeze the mind as well!
First you gave us the comedy of Jessie Ventura, but that wasn’t enough. Way too many of you morons then went and voted for Stuart Smalley!
You people should succeed from the Union. You can become the Republic of Stupid.
I don’t believe this story. As someone above asked, just how did Drudge or anyone else get this copy of this ballot? And IF such a ballot DID exist, I refuse to believe Franken would challenge it.
Plainly a vote for Al Gore
WPB FL.
It is obvious that this was Franken’s own ballot. He was torn between voting with his brain and his heart. He started by voting with his brain, but it misfired.
Let the comedian have the election. This government is going to be a joke for the next 4 years.
IDIOCY REIGNS !!!
There is a larger danger here..
Should this election remain in doubt into January…the US Senate could CHOOSE to seat Al Franken..instead of Coleman.
Especially if ultimately the MN Senate seat gives the Democrats a fillibuster proof majority.
Its to Franken’s benefit to drag this out as long as humanly possible.
And in doing so..it will embarass Minnesota even further.
How is it possible that 1.2 million people voted for an offensive, small-minded comedian, who himself admitted in his own book that he should never been elected to anything ever?!! What is wrong with Minnesotans?? Have the Canadians taken over??
Looks pretty clear to me. Lets move on!
I see no markings in the oval designated for Franken. If the voter made a mistake and voted for Coleman they could have requested a new ballot. If they had intended to vote for Franken there should be a mark in his oval.
I am loyal Democrat and someone who wants to see Franken win. That said, I agree with an earlier comment that essentially said if you aren’t able to follow simple directions, your vote shouldn’t count. Be it a vote for Franken or Coleman. I am tired of stupid, old, and confused people mucking up the voting system. It isn’t rocket science, it’s a bubble!
While we probably wouldn’t elect Coleman either, my state wouldn’t EVER give Al Franken the time of day. This will be hilarious, in a sad way, if AL FRANKEN ends up being a United States Senator. I guess if we can almost elect convicted felons, we can also elect dim-witted awkward comedians. This guy is guaranteed to make an arse of himself at least 3 times in his first term if he makes it.
Al Franken needs to die in a fire…seriously this is such a black eye for your state guys…I’m ashamed you’re part of the union to be honest.
If the vote is ruled ineligible for counting then Franken is one vote closer to achieving the democrat dictum, “cheat to rule”.
I too think that Al should question this. Can’t you see that the straighter line of the X is pointing up towards Barkley, yet down towards Franken. But yet that same line is closer to Barkley. There is no doubt whatsoever that this definately was not a vote for Coleman. It was 100% for Barkley. Long live the Independence Party!
(by the way, this is called sarcasm)
Taking power by any means nessessary. If the left weren’t weak and incompetent shells of men they would use force, but instead they will use technicality and judicial fiat. They can only thwart the will of the people for so long without serious repercussions. On the up side, they cannot hang the last of us with the rope we provided them if none of them can tie a knot.
What a commedian! If Franken wins this election, the people of Minnesota deserve what they get!
Good Lord People! It is a vote…if they had made a mistake they would or should have crossed the whole thing out or asked for another ballot. If the box is filled in, it counts, doesn’t matter if it is a dang squiggle or x…you cannot interpret how the squiggle looks!!! It counts or they should have torn it up!
This is so sad.
I don’t care for Franken, and I don’t think he’d be much of a senator, but then again, how many senators really do much anyway?
But more than anything, this whole process is an embarrassment to the whole democratic process.
It says a lot about the direction our country is heading when a politician can receive over $600 million contribution for an election, we can have an army of lawyers descend upon our polling places, and at the same time, there is a massive outflow of money OUT of US dollars.
It seems like the rest of the world is voting with their feet – they’re starting to see that we are no longer a serious country.
A sideshow like this only supports that notion.
Franken doesn’t have the class to step aside – that’s obvious, so we should expect no less in this case.
As an old mentor used to say, “You’ll get what’s coming to ya….”
Honestly, is anyone here surprised? Al’s gonna win this seat, and the Republicans will keep losing elections until they learn how to fight dirty like the Dems have been.
By the way, that was my ballot (I thought it looked familiar). I was actually trying to vote for Rudy Boschwitz! Let’s wrap this thing up, shall we?
That vote is for Al Franken. Case closed morons.
Sick and tired of harking back to the Bush-Gore recount in 2000. Does any Democrat remember that 200 plus newspapers tried to prove Gore won and couldn’t? Does anyone question why Gore wanted only the two Democrat counties,Broward and MiamiDade, recounted? I do. One man, one vote is sacred to Democrats when they lose but only when they win.
It doesn’t matter.Democrats in this state are always the aggrieved party and in their minds,they are always right.They will steal this election and Franken will win.On Election Day as people on buses were passing through Uptown ,people pushed onto the buses telling people who had all ready voted to go to another precinct and vote again.In other precincts,Democratic “pollwatchers” actually told people that their vote for Obama would not count unless they voted for Franken.The end always justifies the means and if they have to violate the secret ballot and the franchise to vote,it doesn’t matter.
Drat! I wanted to vote for Garrison Keillor!
Why would Mr. Franken challenge his own ballot?
Clearly this voter is a racist who probably clings to their guns and religion.
This is obviously a vote for Franken.
Seriously, are we to assume the voter checked Coleman, changed their mind, scratched it out and hoped someone counting votes would figure this out??
What would you have done?? Perhaps ask a poll worker for assistance, maybe destroy this ballot and get a new one??
Looks like an old lady with shaky hands. I would like to see what the rest of the ballot looks like. Also, if the person accidentally marked Colman couldn’t the voter get a new ballot and discard the old one, and if not, why didn’t the voter proceed to mark the name he/she intended to vote for?
Welcome Patheticrats.
It’s my understanding (and I’m a super-genius) that a challenge like this is not to prevent that ballot from counting–it’s to make sure that ballots like that cast for Franken are also allowed to count. This way Coleman can’t be all karate-style and say “No way Jose, that bubble isn’t filled in.” It’s sort of a super defense to the karate stylings of a desperate Republican candidate trying to cling to his ming. Word.
If it was an “X” then the candidate this idiot wanted would also be filled in. Since this is the only mark, I’d say the mook that filled this out wanted Coleman. Either way, track down the idiot who filled this ballot out and slap him/her. Coloring inside the circle was day in nursery school.
I like your opinion Elbee! It shows the stupidity of trying to “guess” what the voter MIGHT have been trying to do!
It’s obvious the voter noticed his mistaken vote and simply crossed through it.
The GOP has stolen so many elections. We can’t let them steal this one.
Mickey Mouse’s comment just goes to show how generally stupid Left Wing morons really are. What is Franken protesting, that this voter DIDN’T vote for him!? Leftist Neo-Liberals are despicable.
America is going to suck for the next four years with the enemy within in power and the so-called “Free Press” in their pockets. Wake me for the mid-terms.
Obviously the guy/gal was trying to register two votes for Coleman. Both shud count. And take one away from Franken-stein for good measure.
This confirms everything I have ever thought about Minnesotans. The cold must take its toll on their thought process. For this election to be anything but a landslide for Coleman, given that the other candidate is a laboratory standard mental defective madman, says it all.
I have Multiple Sclerosis, and I often have trouble filling in such ballots due to problems with hand control. That is why I now always vote early as when I do so, it is always electronic so my abilty to write is never a problem.
Franken = LOSER. you’re not smart enough, you’re not good enough, and no one likes you ahole.
Um…to those of you saying “this was a mistake.” If it were a mistake, wouldn’t the voter have voted again for someone else? Wouldn’t there have been a clear indication of the candidate for whom the voter intended to vote?
Sometimes an “X” is used in place of a check. Sometimes an “X” is even used as a signature. It appears more probable than excising a mistake in candidates, the person was simply double marking the option, as the instructions likely said “fill in the space” rather than “mark.”
[...] Franken doesn’t think so: The bubble beside Norm Coleman’s name appeared to have both an X and a squiggle in it, but [...]
I’m with the others above that said that if the entire ballot has marking like this, the vote should count. If however, there are neat, in the line marks on the rest of the ballot, regardless of party of those recipients, it should count for nobody.
<<>>>
Nice!
Give me a break. You can’t infer intent. The voter made a large mark on Coleman; give it to Coleman. It doesn’t matter what anyone “thinks” he meant to do. If the voter didn’t want it to count, then he should have spoken to someone and gotten another ballot. But he didn’t. It counts. If it doesn’t, the law is a [sic] ass.
What do you expect from a state that elected Jesse Ventura govener and all kinds of other loopy activism? Franken? Jeez….and I’m from Louisiana!!
don’t you think that if it had been a mistake that there would have then been a mark next to one of the other candidates????
Don’t knock someone for not being able “to follow instructions” in not being able to perfectly fill in an oval. This ballot was probably filled in by an elderly person with arthritic hands, or someone else with similar physical limitations. Clearly, the voter intended to vote for Coleman. There is an X in the oval, an attempt was made to fill in the oval, and there are no other ovals marked for either of the other candidates. This will probably be the verdict of the canvassing board. I would like to know if this vote has already been tallied for Coleman, or whether it would be an added Coleman vote.
Are you people nuts? Blind with hatred for any republican candidate. This is clearly a vote for Coleman. I’ve never seen such blindness. You folks must work for Acorn
“If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted!!!!”
If we throw out all the votes of people who can’t mark their ballots properly, Coleman will win in a landslide. Even the Democrats know this.
I think that Al Franken should replace Heath Ledger as Joker in the new Batman movie.
Jack Nicholson has become too old, and he looks and acts just like the Joker.
Are you people delusional? If there was a mark in Franken’s bubble AND Coleman’s bubble, then I could buy maybe the voter messed up. Being that there is only ink in one place makes this a non-issue.
Pathetic.
Based on the actions of Al Franken since the election, he isn’t qualified to hold any office, let along a high ranking one. Instead of being a gracious loser, he is acting like a child who lost a board game, whining and crying and throwing a tantrum.
Al Franken ought to go back to running a homosexual massage parlor in Frisco. He’s qualified for a rub and tug, not government office.
I love how people’s votes shouldn’t count when it’s for the opposition. Everyone’s vote should count and in this case it’s pretty clear they wanted to vote for Coleman. It’s embarrasing that we allow these types of frivilous lawsuits and recounts just because a candidate is a sore loser and can’t admit they’ve lost. It was a thin margin, but Coleman has won. Franken needs to muster up some class and concede this instead of whining over how unfair life is.
I think this is brilliant strategy on Franken’s part. This will get an established precedent early whether this is a valid vote, which probably will stand for Coleman. The gamble is that the under vote count has more than 215 of these. If Coleman’s team was smart they would try to throw out their own vote, but it would look bad politically as the vote appears to be a “plain as day” vote for the “black or white” crowd that Coleman represents (although, as we see from the comments, others can argue it’s dismissal). Cheers to Franken for putting the Republican pig in a box early and showing the world even a comedian can play the game. Time to clean up 40 years of American political garbage dating to when RFK went down. Although LBJ was no presidental poster boy, at least he knew how to stuff a ballot box and get things done.
Democrats are the sorest losers in America. I don’t recall anything like in 2006 when they won and I don’t see them lining up the streets with disenfranchised voters now that Obama has won the election. Frauds.
The real comedy here is to consider those who voted for this clown. Hopefully they are not reproducing….
“UP Dog says:
November 19th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
That’s my vote. I tried to write in Prince.”
…Best comment ever.
I am an election official for the State of Missouri. In our county this is a clear vote for Coleman. We have had MANY votes such as this. It is obvious that the voter put an X in the circle, like we X many application forms, and then realized that they were supposed to fill in the circle. When we have someone that fills in a circle, then crosses it out and THEN has a clear vote for the other candidate, THEN we know that they had made a mistake and were clearly wanting to vote for the other person. With NO mark for Franken makes it perfectly clear that this voter IS voting for Coleman.
Here is the vote, simple and using “common sense” which of course political hacks have none…The marking is clear AND does ANYONE see a mark or even a smuge in the circle next to Franken’s name. Of course not, if the person made a mistake, would they not mark twice? I worry more about the obvious idiotic people reviewing these ballots then the person who voted.
WTF, I thought they were not going to count Dean Barkley votes.
It’s both bizarre and chlling to think that there are actually people defending the challenge of this ballot. It is absolutely impossible for an intellectually honest person to interpret this as anything other than a Coleman vote.
that vote should not count… if you can’t follow the directions, a judge has no place determining who you voted for. And I hope Coleman wins.
If this person intended to vote for Franken, there would be a mark in the circle. There is no mark at all any where near Franken’s name… How is this in question?
The real tragedy here is that Al Franken is actually being taken seriously as a candidate. What a state of morons.
Wally says “The GOP has stolen so many elections. We can’t let them steal this one.”
Ever heard of ACORN?
Is Wally the proverbial teapot calling the kettle black?
It is clear to me that this person had a box of twinkies and a red bull for breakfast. The squigles trend down towards Franken, clearly showing an intent to fill in Franken, but was unable to do so because of the sugar rush they were experiencing at the time.
Just another example that is sad testament to the fall of our society and culture. Too many uninformed idiots for this country to have any chance (and I’m not sure our country really deserves it anymore). The Fall of Rome is heading our way — repeat performance due to the ignorance of the many and the corruption of the powerful few who seek higher office.
Is this how Franken wants to win?
Why would he want to win by being a cheater and a con-man? Everybody would know what a fraud he is right off the bat. He won’t be able to get anything done in congress because nobody would trust him.
Franken and the Dems are really grasping. The fact that there was a mark by Coleman and NO MARK by Franken should be perfectly clear. that the vote was for Coleman. Franken needs to get back into his comedy business. There are already enough clowns in Congress. (With apologies to all of the real clowns out there)
It’s obvious who that person was voting for. It is not a system designed to determine if someone can follow directions, it is designed for them to clearly express which candidate they wish to elect. This ballot expresses that person’s choice very clearly.
just an aside…have SNL been lampooning Al Franken on their show? he seems like a pretty easy target for some good humor. Ironically, a spoof of him whining about votes, trying to be funny, would probably be funnier than anything he ever did as a comedian.
Looks like someone moved from Florida to Minnesota and was registered to vote by ACORN.
If, after marking an x through Coleman’s bubble, the voter did not bubble in a vote for another candidate, then the voter did not change his mind and decide to vote for someone other than Coleman. This has to be treated as a vote for Coleman. It is just too improbable that the voter changed his mind and simply decided not to vote at all in the senate race.
If the voter made a mistake they can request another ballot! There’s no there there and the Franken commie lib dem socialist ACORN sprouting ballot stuffing vote fraud is as plain as the veiny bulbous nose on that non comics Marxist’s neanderthal cranial structure!
Franken’s methane may just be the spark to blow the dems up in 2010!~
For Norm Coleman.
Any idiot should be able to see that.
Al Franken is a disgrace, Norm Coleman is an honorable man, has served his country well in the United States Senate, how they Democrat party is still in business I do not know.
This was without a doubt a vote for Norm Coleman, to challenge this is idiotic and disgraceful.
no, this voter is just a typical white person.
a vote for either of these idiots is a vote wasting. neither of these two pinheads will do anything of merit. the unconstitutional wars that we are in now, will continue. these two men are bought and paid for by the Israeli lobby. So on the issue of who won, I say, who cares.
Wait a mark was made next to a name so it should not count. Stewart Smalley is saying that an X or a squiggly means you are not voting for that person? But a bubble with nothing next to it is a vote? If this person made a mistake on the ballot then at least TWO bubbles would be darkened you dumb idiotic 4 eyed stupid looking mouth moron!
This is ridiculous, of course Franken is going to challenge every vote he can…i mean its Al Franken were talking about here. First off, you cant tell if this is how they meant to fill it in unless you see how they filled in the rest of the ballot and second of all its so obviously NOT a vote for Franken and thats why he is challenging it, because if it was for him we wouldn’t be talking about this right now. Finally, Al Franken is a god damned idiot.
What’s with the Democrat – Farmer – Labor on a ballot. Shouldn’t that just be Democrat. Is that a little extra information …. oops forgot its for a democrat so its OK.
This is the problem with trying to diving voter intent.
Both the Coleman supporters who see this as initially marked with an “X” that was then filled in more to make it clear they were voting FOR him could be just as correct as the Franken supporters who see this as initially filled in and then marked with an “X” changing their vote to one that is AGAINST Coleman (and presumable for no one in the senate race).
I believe that the voter, in this particular instance, should technically have requested another ballot if they didn’t want this vote to count.
It’s clear here that the voter first marked “X”, then realized that might not be good enough, so he/she filled in the bubble more. Apparently Franken thinks that the voter filled out the bubble first and then came back to cross out their vote. If that was the case … and they meant to cross out their vote for Coleman and vote for Franken … then why didn’t the voter vote for Franken? What it really shows is the contempt Franken has for the voters. Uggh.
The lession in this excercise:
50% of the commenters believe that elderly and disabled people with SHAKY HANDS should not be permitted to vote.
Did you notice under Franken’s name his party affiliation? “Democratic-Farmer-Labor” I didn’t know there was a Domocratic-Farmer-Labor party. There obviously wasn’t enough room for “Democratic-Farmer-Labor-ProAbortion -Gay Marriage – Tax & Spend – Liberal – Hate America First” on the ballot.
What is scary to me is that this kook Frankin has come so close to being elected — then again, it’s for things like this that I fled Duluth 44-years ago, and never looked back.
DFL. Talk about a Socialist term!
As a recounter durign the 2000 election in Florida myself, I tell you that discerning voter intent is quite difficult. This ballot should be set aside. If the final count is tied or one vote apart, the Supreme Court should decide what this ballot means. Under any other circumstance, this ballot is meaningless.
Voters must make sure their vote will count by following the instructions. If you make a mistake, ask for a new ballot. If your chads are dimpled or hanging, punch them through and rip them off. If the bubble isn’t filled in, fill it in. If you’re too stupid to understand your responsibility, don’t vote! Instead, go to the mall and buy something.
For the love of GOD man. DO NOT LOOSE THAT BALLOT. I see the Virgin Mary in that swiggle. Qwickly alert CNN. Tell all the mexican chatholics. There would be a line to Montana just to gaze upon this mysterious ballot. It is a sign…..That Franken is a putz. Someone up there please slap this man. Do we need to send Ted Nugent up there?
So now we disinfranchise voters who can’t color in the lines…I thought that’s what liberals were all about?
Democrats once again at their finest. When Democrats can’t win the intellectual argument, they resort to character assassination. When they can’t win the election fair and square, they try to steel it. Can’t say this is much different than Putin’s gang of political thugs in Russia.
Saying this is anything other than a vote for Coleman is a lie. I would say the same thing in favor of Franken if a Franken ballot looked this way.
Seeing these responses gives me a tremendous headache. There is a reason that an article was written about THIS BALLOT. It is laughable that there would be any question regarding the voter intent.
Explanation: Old person. Arthritis. I grew up in Plymouth. There are plenty of seniors out there that relished in voting against the potbellied little pervert comedian.
Jesus, Franken is even more of a craven tool than I thought. Clearly this is a vote for Coleman. Franken is a complete disgrace..as are the people here devining an imagined X and a voter’s intent from a scribble. Disgraceful.
diving = divine.
Ok, Is this really serious? WTF?
Can’t anyone just use common sense? Oh yeah, it’s not common.. OF course it’s a vote for Barkley!
DOH!
We REALLY need a voting machine that not only counts the votes internally, but also spits out a pieces of paper to be put into the ballot box. Since the machine is the one marking the ovals, consistency would be maintained; all would be clearly marked with an X similar to a typewriter (for instance) or could actually write out the name of the candidate (once again in typewriter fashion). Make it such that from within the voting booth, the paper ballot is provided to the voter BEFORE they click on the submit button so the voter can examine the ballot for accuracy. Also make it such that the voting machines internal counter is a PRELIMINARY tally, but that the paper ballots are the official votes.
With the paper ballot being marked by the machine, with the paper ballot being examined by the voter for accuracy before being submitted, with the paper ballot being the deciding factor, we would NOT have the issues we are having now AND the potential issue of the machines being hacked would NOT rear its ugly head.
What I don’t understand is; I’m a programmer and could write the code for the above in a month at the most. WHY can’t those who are actually developing the machines NOW successfully accomplish it?
I wonder what a recount of the presidential ballots would look like following these new criteria?
This is racist!!!!!! Wait – Franken is of an origin that we know nothing of – right? Hmmmmmm – Ok, ok – Democrats are now all minorities by association now – right? Wait, wait I got it – comedians that think they know better than everyone else even though they have a failed radio station, a silly book, and a tax cheat are a minority – right? Rats – one thing for sure – there are no minorities of people in Minnesota that actually give credibility to the Ventura’s and Franken’s of the world!
Where is the outrage? Challenging this ballot is a mockery of our democracy and another example of liberal lust for power over fairness.
It’s for Coleman, clearly, unless Franken thinks voters with messy handwriting (maybe because they are handicapped–?) shouldn’t be allowed to vote.
I am so utterly appalled that anyone is tolerating Al Franken’s crap in this election…my God…can’t anyone accept defeat graciously anymore? Are we going to keep counting and finding ballots in trunks until scumbags like this win? I am fed up and the American people should be prepared to stand up and say “ENOUGH”!
Remember, all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do NOTHING!
Thanks for listening!
All you people who voted for Franken should remember that if he is elected (by getting what is clearly a vote for his opponent thrown out) then you are going to have four years of just such nonsense from the pitiful commedian trying to turn politician.
Ken Erickson: IF you find that T-Shirt, I want one too.
Chris – Not sure if you are serious, but I like the idea of PDF scans of all the contested ballots… I’d like to see this stuff… if nothing else someone has a great topic for a thesis on their socialogy degree here I’m sure of it.
If the ballot had a scribble over Fraken’s name of course he wouldn’t contest it….What a fraud this guy is. I can’t believe all the retards in Minnisota that voted for this boob!
The worst part of this is election is that it has made hypocrites of the Democrats. All the people who are saying that this ballot shouldn’t count because the voter didn’t fully fill in the circle are the same people who cried foul that the votes that were partially punched through in Florida should count.
What happened to intent?
There’s more here than meets the eye, and we need that information to make a fair judgement.
We can’t see the rest of the ballot!
It looks crossed out… Is there another one checked?
Lame… Lame… republicans.
When are we (the people commenting on this board) going to realize that we should stop bickering amongst ourselves. We need to focus our attention on the people that represent both parties. It amazes me that the people here can promote anyone from any party. “We the people” need to take the power back from the politicians that duped us into believing we are democrats or republicans. The politicians love the fact we are wasting our energy fighting each other and not focusing on the real issues. There really is only one truth in the world today: an individual person is very intelligent, the second you group them together they’re the dumbest species on the planet.
I still can’t understand how a sane person could vote for Al Frankin. Who is next Minnesota, Bobcat Goldthwait or Carrot Top? What a joke!!!
Wasn’t it Franken himself who griped that “every vote should count”? Guess he only meant when the vote is for him.
How hard is it to fill in a ballot? Why do some counties, it seems, try their hardest to complicate the instructions? Palm Beach County, notorious for their 2000 ballot gaffes. This year, PBC ballots had two columns next to each candiate. The trick to cast a ballot was to draw in the missing middle b/t the two columns, to complete what was supposed to be an arrow that points to the candidate or your choice. How ridiculous. I’m so tired of these silly, unnecessary write-in ballot issues. It doesn’t need to be that difficult.
I am sooooooooooo glad I got out of the freakfest of a state
CLEARLY the voter saw his mistaken vote and X’ed it out.
This is indicative of what is wrong with the Republican party today. They will lie, twist, and distort ANYTHING to try to keep their power. This is no more a vote for Coleman than I am the man in the moon.
How does the GOP keep a straight face when they make their outlandish claims?
Bet it wouldn’t be challenged if it were al frenkinsteins bubble.
Maybe the voter has Parkinson’s disease and that is the best he/she could do as far as filling in the ballot. Now we have the democrats trying to disenfranchise the “Parkinson’s” vote. How pathetic Mr Franken.
Al Franken and ACORN
Cheatseaking Missiles.
I do believe that if people cannot follow the rules, which are USUALLY stated very plainly, they shouldn’t be counted. But may God have mercy on America, especially Minnesota, if Al Franken is voted in.
hey – it almost worked for Gore…
Thirty years ago, a Minnesota recount threw out 3,500 ballots that used a check mark instead of an “X”. The court ruled we did not follow the instructions to use an “X”.
What is wrong with you people??!?!? I live in backwards-a$$ Louisiana and even we moved on to electronic voting years ago! Geez, what is this, Mayberry?
While the intent of the voter might be difficult for some to agree on, the intent of the Franken campaign, victory through guile, seems largely settled.
If these are the types of votes being challenged, this thing could last until next summer. It is clear that this person voted for Norm Coleman. This Al Franken person is certainly grasping for straws.
This election is a farce. Just give it to Franken and be honest about it as opposed to some pretense that this isn’t a vote for Coleman.
Give it a rest already. Your vote doesn’t count if it’s a Republican! Just accept that fact and move on.
frankin is mental.
As a Professor of Voterology at the UofM I can assure you that things are not so simple as the average run of the mill citizen would have you believe. Having subjected this picture to our Voternalysis 9000 scanner it appears (and this is ONLY preliminary) that the intent of the voter may have actually been to vote for Franken. We’ll have to examine the actual ballot in our lab to make a final determination. Thank God for science.
If you want to know what I think (and you know you do), the voter put a checkmark in the circle and then realized “Oh crap, I’m supposed to FILL the circles in”. However, it’s ridiculous (and dangerous) to pretend we can divine voter intent. Since this yahoo didn’t follow instructions, the vote should be rendered invalid.
it counts. It would count if it was in Franken’s balloon, or he would take it to the supreme court. it counts.
It’s all Bush’s fault!!!!!!!!!!
Franken needs his prescription for his glasses changed. Most of us want to know-How did this nut job even get the votes? Do the people of Minnesota take a look at how many Nut cases are already serving in Washington? All I know is that there are too many ill informed voters in this country and it is helping with the downfall of our country? Read the newspapers, read both Left and Right sides of arguments-get informed, please!!!
If the voter intended to vote for Franken, you’d would have seen markings in both circles. This is the problem with “intent” laws in place like in liberal Minnesota. I think the voter voted for Coleman.
[...] StarTribune, “One challenge headed to the state so far in Plymouth” [...]
If he wins I hope Franken is a better politician than he was a comedian
Craig put down his crack pipe and posted:
“Why not just call him and ask. Could not they check the ballot with a name?”
Well, Craig, they tried they just couldn’t find Stuart Smalley in the phonebook. Maybe it was unlisted?
PS. This isn’t a Union ballot. They may ask for ID at the door, but in grown-up elections they don’t ask you to write your name, home room number, and date at the top of the page.
The voter clearly intinded to mark out his vote. How anyone can sugest that this person intinded to vote for coleman is beyond me and show a huge lack of intelligents.
Hey, that looks like my handwriting! I voted for Mr. Coleman, you dolts.
This ballot isn’t going to be thrown out because the obvious legal challange would be…What about all others that have bubbles that are partially filled in or that go outside the lines? A reexamination would probably find hundreds. The instruction to mark the ballot was carried out. You may not like his mark but it is marked by one name and one name only. So lets stop playing handwriting/psychology expert and get on with it.
Franken sent one ballot, my guess is he wants coleman to defend this ballot so that Coleman will look like an ass attacking similar ballots cast for Franken. Not a bad move if thats the case……
Jerry says:
if he is elected (by getting what is clearly a vote for his opponent thrown out) then you are going to have four years of just such nonsense from the pitiful commedian trying to turn politician.
Uh, Jerry that’s 6 YEARS of this MORON if he wins!!
He wouldn’t have made it in the primaries in my state!
Dummycrats are sore losers…”Stewart Smalley go to your room…”
Minnesota isn’t liberal, it’s just crazy. I mean, over a million people voted for Al Franken. Al freakin’ Franken. Al….Franken. C’mon now. Al Franken does not belong in the United States Senate. Can you imagine this goon in the same legislative body as Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Lyndon Johnson, Jack Kennedy, Bob Dole, etc. There is no doubting one thing: this is his biggest joke of all if he pulls it off.
I still can’t believe that HALF of Minnesotans are so utterly and absurdly stupid that they would vote for a bad comedian to represent their interests in Washington…
Kinda says a lot about the people.
Where’s the CHAD?
phh, you’re a joke. Would you say the same thing if this were a vote for al ‘thug’ franken? I hope that after he loses the election he slips in to oblivion and is forgotten forever. He couldn’t even manage a successful radio show, the loser.
Any one that would be lead by Al Frankin has a very low feeling of self worth….AL FRANKIN ?????? LOL what a loser nerd.
Sorry folks, but if you cannot fill in the ballot you can request assistance; the inability to fill in a ballot is not disenfranchisement. Many states have laws that require the ballot procedures be followed or the ballot is not counted–if you don’t understand the rules, you can request assistance; understanding the voting procedures is not disenfranchisement. In 2000, however, voter “intent” was taken to the state Supreme Courts and now it seems to be commonplace to have the courts attempt to determine exactly what was happening in a disputed-ballot-voter’s-head at the time that the ballot was filled in. So, in effect, we are allowing those to vote who a) refuse assistance; b) don’t listen to instructions; c) know it all (but don’t really); or d) any combination or all of the above. If this vote was not filled in correctly, throw it out. Period.
At least its not of those ballots found in the trunk of the poll workers car that only has votes for Franken and Obama. So Franken is running under the democratic and Farmer and Labor parties? Is he trying to get them to use the Fusion method of counting votes pushed by Obama’s socialist New Party shot down by the Supreme Court?
franken is Funny;
like a Stomach Pump!!!!
This is a joke right?? Stuart Smalley…. No one likes you! Get the hint and go away you pathetic liberal turd blossom!
Democrats and liberals cannot accept the democratic result of votes. Look at gay activits who simply will not accept the vote of the people on gay marriage. If they win however, then they are ok with that.
If we Conservatives have accepted your socialist inexperienced Obama, why can’t you accept the will of the majority ??
I am still amazed actually that there are so many people in the fine state of Minn. that would actually vote for such a foul, lying, violent ass as Franken…
amazing…
[...] For the story, click here. [...]
If Franken can challenge enough ballots it will be easier to cry foul. After the count he will ask the ominous question “Why were most of my challenges denied and most of Coleman’s accepted?”. Credulous people will take this a proof of Republican vote fraud. After all, statistics don’t lie! Do they?
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics. Mark Twain
Oh Franken: give it up. You’re apparently as fair as you are funny. Which isn’t saying much.
Perhaps the Franken people wanted to set the precedent on ballots like this so when they show up in Franken’s favor they have a decision in hand..meaning maybe a lot of folks voted for Franken this way, enough to tip the scale…
With careful analysis we can determine this voter’s intent. He obviously got a zero score on his SAT tests in High School. Every since he got this low score, his self-esteem has suffered, and he has lived a bitter, angry life, blaming all of his failing on society. So he is obivously a democrat, and all democrats voted for Al Franken.
Seriously, this is the 21st century, even in my tiny town of White Settlement, TX, we used the electronic voter wheel machines. Say what you might about those, at least we won’t have this “interpretation” non-sense. Seriously Minnesota, get with it, and quit using these ridiculous outdated ballots.
I am embarrassed for everyone in the state of Minnesota. What the hell were you thinking even letting this idiot Air-America no talent hack get this close to the US Senate? The dumbing down of America continues. Abe out……..
Who gives a crap…Let the people of Minnesota have Franken as their Senator.
They deserve what they get..Let the state’s economy go down the crapper….
Can Al Franken not see the mark? What an idiot.
if they wanted to correct a mistake and vote for frankendouche, wouldn’t his bubble have something in it too?
I wonder if Franken would be challenging this ballot if that mark was in front of his name? I doubt it.
That is a pretty standard challenge. I’ve been seconded into vote recount boards. The challenge won’t stand but both sides make this type of challenge.
The person made the traditional X and than attempted to fill in the circle. Only a moron, or a vote thief, would see it any other way.
If a Republican challenged that ballot, the Democrats would say it was racism.
Are you kidding me. It’s clear as day who the voter intended on voting for. If there were marks next to another candidate, I’d say there’s a question, but there isn’t.
Stop splitting c**t hairs Al. Go back to SNL….YOU LOST!!!
I have always respected Minnesotians but how could anybody vote for Al Franken.I’m afraid Minnesota will become the joke of the USA.
When did the Democratic party become the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party?????
Shouldn’t it be the National Socialists American Workers’ party?
Again, and I just have to repeat this because I still can’t really believe it. Minnesotans cast over 1 million votes for Al Franken. For the United States Senate. It is just amazing to actually type it out. Al Franken…for United States Senate. It’s just..so…awful.
This is a vote for Coleman and if you don’t agree your vote doesn’t count. We must take away the voice of the opposition
The only thing this is…is scary. It’s clearly not a vote for Al but it could be a mistake on a vote for Norm. Logically, the guy got confused between a fill-in and an X – but who knows? And, yeah, what does the rest of his ballot look like??? The real frightening thing is that a clown like Al Franken could be a Senator…don’t want to visit MN, ever!
If you did this on a test this would be the answer YOU selected, nothing else.
Let’s hope this voter can wipe his a** better than marking a ballot.
God help us…the politicians sure can not.
Memories of a past election…………..SELECTED NOT ELECTED!! or LET EVERY VOTE COUNT!! or WHAT DID THEY KNOW AND WHEN DID THEY KNOW IT!! or some other comment from a stupid, lying, un-informed, moronic liberal/socialist democrat!!
(just my thoughts)
Franken has no pride.
Unbelievable that some posters are taking his side on this. Laughable. Pitiful.
If truth in labeling was required, shouldn’t Al Franken’s ballot listing be as Democrat – Comedian/Jokester not as Farmer/Labor? Does the Democratic party want a Jokester as a candidate?
You can tell this person wanted to vote for Franken, but accidently put an “X” beside Coleman. Then the person tried to scribble out the “X”. After all the Xing and scribbling, they forgot to put a new “X” beside Franken.
Well its clearly NOT a vote for Franken!
It is plainly obvious that this person wanted to vote for Frankin and accidentally voted for Coleman and tried to mark out his mark. This should, no MUST be counted as a vote for Frankin.
It’s obvious that this person put an X next to Coleman and then decided to cross that vote out and not vote for anyone. -1 vote from Coleman’s total.
What kind of people live in MN that they would vote for someone like Franken. Even here in NJ people aren’t so stupid.
[...] sure looks like a Coleman ballot to me. Click here for the story from the Drudge Report and Star [...]
This is clearly a vote for Coleman. I can’t believe it is even being challenged. This type of cheating and stupidity is why I left the Democratic party.
First of all, LOL at UP Dog who said he tried to write in Prince. 
Voter intent is important to me, and so is following voting instructions. But who cares what I think: a hand recount implies that Minnesota has chosen to consider voter intent.
This voter intended one of two things:
1) To vote for Norm Coleman, or
2) To vote for none of the above.
In my mind, if you passionately want to vote for none of the above, you need to be smarter than the ballot–do it right, or request an unspoiled ballot. Therefore, this is a vote for Norm Coleman.
Finally, after Florida 2000 and Washington 2004, how do people still let themselves vote so sloppy?
to all you that think that since the “rules” were not followed, then this vote should not count..
maybe this was an elderly voter that has a hard time writing. we don’t know. but…for those of you worried about all the rules, the next time you get a speeding ticket, maybe you shouldn’t be allowed to drive. maybe next time you get a late fee on your credit cards, maybe you shouldn’t be allowed to use it. or…maybe those of you that can’t pay your damn mortgage, maybe you should rent instead..or move back in with mommy and daddy. i don’t know…just thinking about “the rules.”
i would vote for coleman because franken is such a classless moron; with that being said i dont think this vote should count. if someone isnt capable on filling out a ballot correctly i dont think they are smart enough to make an informed decision. there should be some type of test when you register to vote that shows you are not a complete idiot!
It is likely that this person was born in a red state (perhaps OK), moved to a blue state (IL) and then got transferred to a purple state (MN). After multiple late nights drinking beer and rum mixers prior to the election, this person prob woke up, got in his Hybrid Yukon and drove to the polling station. Still hungover from the previous nights’ bash and forever confused about who he is, walked into the booth and put an X next to Coleman’s name, thinking this was the way to “not vote” for Coleman; then, it hit him: no, I must not vote no for Coleman, but yes. Yes, that is what i must do: vote yes for Coleman and not no! So this individual marked the ballot with a circle and not an x. But then, yet another realization: voting yes for Coleman means voting no for Franken. I am not sure that is the best thing either…After a couple of hours of back and forth, it occured to this individual that he had in fact not voted at all, but instead had just finished playing a very challenging game of x’s and o’s, only to finish tied. Therefore, he marked his ballot with a C (as in Cat) and left the booth and went promptly to the local bar.
LOL @ UpDog
What’s UpDog?
It’s not as though people never use an X to indicate an oval. Rather than trying to divine “intent” from a ballot, which is absurd, why not look at which oval is darkened?
The fact that Franken is even in politics is even more absurd.
My intent was that this be a Franken vote, therefore, it must be a Franken vote.
And an extra for good measure just to make up for past discrimination.
Well, one more also because I found another voter registration card in my glovebox. The guy who I got it from was from Ohio, but was passing through.
So we better count that as a Franken vote.
Frankenvote! has a nice ring to it!
It’s so very sad to see this election so close. It’s sad to see Franken trying to steal this election as Gore tried in 2000. This isn’t good for anyone. It’s a shame that the Al’s can’t see the damage they do to our conutry. Finally, it’s most sad to see that the people of MN are so depraved as to have voted 50% for a tax cheating, vote cheating, pornographer with a hatred for America. It’s a sad day. TA
This is CLEARLY a vote for Al Franken.
You rich Republicans, excuse me — Re-THUG-licans — are trying to beat up some poor old person, who obviously has a shaky hand. It’s obvious that anyone in that condition would NEVER vote for a Republican.
It’s also clear that the direction of the shaky line indicates the aim of the individual was clearly at the bubble below — The Esteemed Al Frrrraken, who apparently has done some farming.
Get over it you old, gray-haired Republican hillbillies! Al Franken won this…and it’s just a matter of us finding the right number of votes.
Once you creeps are out of the way…we’ll be able to stop this name-calling and unite the country!
Oh yes we can!!!!!
[...] This is one of the ballots that Al Franken is challenging in the Minnesota Senate Race. Read about it in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune’s Whistleblower Blog here. [...]
Ummm – is this much ado about nothing??? The team of lawyers representing Franken wants a definitive ruling as to whether this counts. Where is the harm in that?? Definitive ruling comes down that it counts, and then it counts…end of story. Sheesh – the media is being very disingenuous by even posting this story.
And as far as others saying that Franken wants votes for Obama where no Senate candidate was selected to be counted as a vote for him – that claim sounds like pure Internet fueled rubbish.
Of course this is not over until Franken wins…I would think that anyone who has watched this country disgrace itself would already know that. Your vote only matters if the MSM and the courts agree with you in this country. Welcome to the socialist united liberal states. FKA the USA
PHH ! PLEASE give us a break . What this is , is a clear vote for Coleman , here we go again with the hanging chad morons of the left wing democratic party , just like 2000 .
Barry
It’s so very sad to see this election so close. It’s sad to see Franken trying to steal this election as Gore tried in 2000. This isn’t good for anyone. It’s a shame that the Al’s can’t see the damage they do to our country. Finally, it’s most sad to see that the people of MN are so depraved as to have voted 50% for a tax cheating, vote cheating, pornographer with a hatred for America. It’s a sad day. TA
Minnesota should be ashamed.
Franken will make you more of a laughingstock than Jesse Ventura.
this is from the impartial observer – this vote belong to coleman. if the voter had changed his mind there would have been a marking assigned to Al Frankin unless the Democrat is so desperate for their 60 super majority , they will do everything to steal and fabricate votes in favor of Al Frankin , just like the vote that majically appear from the trunk of the car of a Decmoratic volunteer . And by the way , I bet this volunteer is an Acorn member.
The party of tolerance is intolerant of anyone and anything that stands in their way of a global socialist dictatorship.
Pathetic – what a loser – and this guy actually has a contingent of people who would want him to represent them!
This is a prime example of why Al Franken and Minnesota are national jokes. Seriously, the entire circle beside Coleman’s name is filled up – how is it not clear that it’s a vote for Coleman? What’s next – the democratic party telling us the Founding Fathers didn’t really mean for everyone to have the right to own a gun? Naw…never!
Here we go again. I think that the ballot is intended for Coleman. BUT, as the Dems see it, it’s a scratchout. Well so much for voter intent. Perhaps we should say that when Frankin exhales he intends to stay that way and not breath in. There are a lot of us who would think that exhaling and not inhaling was Frankins intent, hmmm, maybe that would be an improvement too.
What a fraud Franken and his people are. On TV saying “every vote should count” and then challeging this one. He is out to win an election he lost by battling over what counts and what dosnt… meaning votes for him should and for Coleman should not. A shame.
Hey Perplexed,
We know how he got votes – just go to http://www.howobamagotelected.com and see the type of voters that turned out to vote for the messiah and Stuart Smalley. I like it better when there is a 43% voter turnout. Let all the idiots who don’t know which party controls both houses stay home.
Hey – that’s my voting card!!! I clearly meant to vote for Al Franken, I just couldn’t seem to line up the oval with the name. I feel so foolish. Well, I have to go out and get in my 80,000 pound 18 wheeler and head out on the highway…
“When will we, the citizens of the USA, get tired of Libitards?”
Oh, I’d guess by about 2010 you’ll see that a nice majority will have gotten tired of them.
If you think you can handle the truth about today’s events and what matters, then you need to read Judaism Discovered by Michael A. Hoffman
It is obviously from a racist voter who wanted to vote for Franken because he preferred misogynist tax cheats who will humiliate Minnesota, but poked himself in the eye while genuflecting towards the blow-up Obama doll in the voting precinct.
Karen has it right!!!!
If one were to use some COMMON SENSE one would see its a vote for Coleman
I thought one of the major arguments of the Florida recount was based on “Voter Intent”. Clearly this person intended to vote for Coleman. Why is this argument suddenly obsolete when it doesn’t favor the Democrats? Where is all the hand-wringing over voter disenfranchisement that the Democrats had in 2000?
The intent of the voter does not matter. If the conditions for a vote being cast are met then that vote is counted. Hanging chads have provided ambiguety and these fill in circles do to. There is no foolproof method even if you have the voter quadruple confirm their vote. You can always make a conclusion that is different from the actual conditions met for a vote if you take the “intent of the voter” into account. Anyone that says, “well clearly the voter meant…” is an idiot.
Dave, nice try at analogizing there. Rules are in place for a reason. In fact, the rules and consequences are clearly stated when we go out to drive, use our credit cards and even when we buy a house. And vote. If we don’t follow the rules, we suffer the consequences. Laws are already in place for voters who do not fill in ballots correctly: they are not counted. That is the consequence. Why you would attempt to determine a new consequence without knowing the rules is ignorance.
How come you never see Republicans making outlandish challenges like this, or rioting, or suing everyone when they lose an election?
What a bunch of cry babies.
You lost a close election. Deal with it.
A lot of Republicans lost close elections this year. You don’t see us crying about it.
Lets just assume that it was an “X” with an attempted scribble out (which does not at all look like that is the case), then why wouldn’t they fill in another bubble?
Come on people. I don’t care who you are for the politician or the washed up comedian. This one is easy. The ones that are hard to figure out are the ones with sweat on them because they were a fake Acorn voter.
If you make a mistake, you get a new ballot. Plain and simple.
This is a vote for Norm.
Who is John Galt?
I have seen many ballots that look this way and usually they have been elderly or disabled people who have a hard time with writing…many ask for help but there are all sorts of rules about that too. One of the most frequently asked questions by the elderly is in the vein of “do I have to color the entire circle”, which is hard for them. There is not even a mark next to any other name. This is a Coleman vote. If there were other marks next to another name, I might see it differently, but that is not the case.
Democratic, Farmer, Labor? What a joke. The Republicans need to change their party name to Publishers Clearing House. That will get votes. People are so stupid, they vote Democratic because they don’t know what Republican means….
I GET IT! THE CHALLENGE IS A JOKE!!
Darryl,
I think anyone’s voice is being heard who wants to make it heard. The question is, why are people even talking about this? Obviously it was a vote for Coleman because,
A) there was no mark for anyone else
B) the voter made no effort to get a new ballot meaning if it was a mistake they didn’t care enough to change their vote
C) Most likely they put the traditional X and then remembered they needed to fill it in
D) The person obviously had more common sense than the 1 million other voters who decided it would be a good idea to have a bad comedian represent their state in the US senate. Chances are they didn’t vote for a pro-wrestler as Governor either.
Quit hyper-ventalating about voter repression and free speach and admit that your guy lost a close election. Better luck next time.
Here in the U.S. we’re more worried about recounting ballots than handling the issues….but from my (limited) experience with live and politics, I’ve deduced that politicians care little about the people they represent. They care more about pushing their own agenda, and their party’s agenda.
Al Fraken will likely do whatever he thinks he can get away with (within reason) to win this election. He doesn’t care about what the people actually want….but then again neither do many of the other politicians.
This is obviously a vote for me, because I am good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me.
Since the bubble isn’t filled in exactly correct, we should penalize them by giving the vote to Franken!
Idiots!
If you’re going to get technical and try to not count this, maybe we should disqualify the 70 votes for Frankin they found in someones car first after the election! Nothing like stealing an election right infront of our noses!
Umm, it’s OBVIOUS it’s not a vote for Franken, and I’m guessing that despite the Republitards commenting here, that no one in the Franken campaign is making that argument. It’s either a vote for Coleman or not. Like one commenter said, if the rest of the ballot is filled out nicely, then this is obviously not a vote for Coleman, but if the other ones look similar, then it is.
The rest of the ballot cannot be referenced as to how the numb nuts marked his/her other preferences. It is only a question of if this “x” and squiggle can be counted. No one can guess what the intent was of the person who cast the vote may be. Follow the instructions that is that. the ballot should be tossed on taht and that alone. team Colman would do the same if the mark was in Franken’s, it is clear that that the right is still up to their dirty slanderous tactics by saying that the voter’s intent was to vote for colon and attempt to say that Franken should not question the legitimacy of the ballot.
the only way liberals can win is to cheat. look at obama, the master of cheating. franken knows thats his only hope to win.
Looks like a hanging chad. I hear Steward Smalley is in line for head of the IRS because of his extensive knowledge of tax matters.
HELLO MINNESOTA!
I love you people and I love your state, but really now, I’m lost on trying to understand your sense of humor. I thought it was over the top that the America-haters would have the gall to put Franken on the ballot for being your US Senator – admit it: trusting this clown to be responsible and provide wise leadership at the national level is ludicrious, but I’m getting off the point.
I will feel sincerely sorry for Minnesota and the nation if Franken wins this election, but more so, I will be insulted because the DNC pushed Franken as their decision of who is the best person to represent Minnesota in the US Senate.
I know Minnesotans deserve better.
The ends justifies the means and the Democrat Party knows how to best run your life. So shut silly people and let the ACCORN defrauders and party hacks steal the election so Washington can gain control of your existence!
All Hail the New Leader!
Where’s the rest of the ballot, for comparison?
in my above post I meant life, not live.
Filling in ovals with a pencil? What’s that? Why don’t those boneheads in Minnesota get voting machines like the ones we use in my precinct in California? A simple stylus that leaves a perfectly round ink mark on the ballot.
I understand this vote was made by a transplanted Floridian who likes to spend their winters in sunny Minnesota.
PULEASE!
How outrageous! This voter was obviously confused by the ballot and meant to vote for Franken! I mean, only idiots and bigots vote for conservatives! How dare someone try to vote for a Republican! (BTW I’ve got about 216 Franken ballots in the trunk of my car, so give me a call Al if you need ‘em! We all know that “smart people” voted for you, and their votes should count more……right?
OK, Franken is pinning his hopes on one moronic incompetent voter?
Wow, maybe all of you people who are gazing into your crystal balls to determine the intent can give some good lottery numbers. Bottom line is that it is marked for Coleman.
It’s official.
I will NEVER hire anyone from Minnesota.
Hell, I won’t hire someone if they drove through Minnesota at this point. They may have picked up a bad case of the stupids just driving through.
Please leave the Union. We’ll call you the Republic of Stupid. What a joke you idiots are.
Truly the saddest thing about this whole debacle is that a buffoon like Franken can actually get 50% of the vote! Literally half the population is idiots! You can bet I won’t be moving to Minnesota, although it evidently would be a public service. I could personally raise the collective IQ by maybe 10 to 15 points by migrating there…….
There is a mark next to Colemans name and nothing next to Franken’s or Barkley’s name. This is a vote for Coleman.
If this ballot is voted incorrectly, it should not be counted. I am a Coleman supporter.
First off, the people that are saying this vote shouldn’t count. Does that mean we don’t have to count your vote for Obama either, and that McCain won?
This is clearly a vote for Coleman, because there are no other marks next to any of the other candidates.
Though as far as possible explanations, maybe the person that filled out this ballot looked at their watch and realized that they were running late for something, and so they initially crossed the bubble for Coleman, realized that they were supposed to fill it in, and then sloppily filled it in a hurry.
As a veteran of the 2000 recount I would think you would find alot more of these type of marks in the heavily poor Democrat areas of the Twin Cities. So Franken better think twice about this challenge. The best ones from 2000 were where the voter punched out everyone except for Bush or everyone except for Gore. I saw both.
What does “Democrat-Farmer-Labor” on the party affiliation portion of the Franken choice mean? Why isn’t there some further descriptive language associated with the Coleman choice?
The extra affiliations make the ballot appear slanted toward Franken by appealing one final time, just as you are to vote, to not only Democrats, but anybody associated with agriculture, or labor.
Incredible!
This clearly should be 1/2 a vote for Franken and 1/2 a vote for Barkley.
It seems clear to me! Last election, the voters of Minnesota elected a dfl Secretary of State; therefore, they CLEARLY want every questionable issue resloved in favor of the demoncrat freaking liberal party. Al bin Franken is the standard bearer (and icon) of the dfl, therefore, it is his vote. End of story.
The “X” plus the squiggle is a very emphatic vote for Coleman.
the_logician
This is to freaking funny and sad that soooooooo many voters in Minnesota could be sooooooooooo stupid and naive to vote for this hateful clown of a man Franken. What a bunch of “Socialist Robots” to fall for this little mans BS. The whole country is giggling like little girls at the Franken SNL skit in Minnesota.
Mark next to Coleman, no mark next to Franken…..Duh!
Maybe we should try to determine whether or not the voter had a good childhood, or if they had self esteem issues? Maybe the voter was trying to save ink to reduce Global warming?
Only a dope like Franken or one of his supports could see this as a possible vote for himself. Despite the messiness, the mark is for Coleman. Franken and his supporters are retards. Birds of a feather make a shi tty mess.
What if the man had Parkinson’s disease…
RR said,
“The rest of the ballot cannot be referenced as to how the numb nuts marked his/her other preferences. It is only a question of if this “x” and squiggle can be counted. No one can guess what the intent was of the person who cast the vote may be. Follow the instructions that is that. the ballot should be tossed on taht and that alone. team Colman would do the same if the mark was in Franken’s, it is clear that that the right is still up to their dirty slanderous tactics by saying that the voter’s intent was to vote for colon and attempt to say that Franken should not question the legitimacy of the ballot.”
I’m not so sure that that the voter’s intent can’t be guessed. Clearly there are marks next to Coleman’s name. Now there is no way to know for 100%, but I would guess that he or she intended to vote for Coleman.
Oh and to those that have said “Why don’t they just find the voter and ask him”…here in the U.S. we have this thing called anonymous voting. It protects a voter, because if a voter had to publicly announce his vote then he could be subject to bullying by other people….and then people wouldn’t vote and an election could be stolen by intimidation.
Every booth I’ve been in has had a pencil with an eraser for just such an occasion. Crazy…
Morons. The vote is clearly for Coleman. Franken is a joke -but the real joke will be on the people of Minneapolis if he wins.
So penmanship counts in a Minnesota election? Man, you guys are tough.
Too bad you aren’t as rigorous in picking your Democratic candidates.
Is Franken serious? That is ridiculous an “X” also symbolizes selection; as in “X” marks the spot. The direction read fill in the bubble completely at which point the voter clear attempted to do so; apparently failing Kindergarten couldn’t manage to do it with in the lines. But no education test has to be taken to get your voter’s registration card so, it counts.
Hey Jackson, where did you go to school?
“Minnesota is joke”
Try cleaning up your grammar.
Remember, when you point a finger three are pointing back at you
May the judges realize that some older people afflicted with arthritis do not have muscle control of their writing. The voter DID vote for Franken, otherwise, the voter would have asked for a new ballot or maybe tried to fill in one of the other two blanks–but this was not the case. Only Franken’s circle was marked. Here in Indiana voters are given felt-marker pens so people with arthritis do not have to try so hard to fill in a circle.
Give the election to Frankin. If there are a million people from MN dumb enough to vote for moron #2 (Frankin) you should get what you deserve. You’re already the laughing stock of the nation for electing moron #1 (Ventura) so why break the streak.
You can’t leave this to interpretation of intent. The oval was blackened by the voter; therefore, a vote for Coleman. If they didn’t INTEND to blacken the oval, they should have gotten a new ballot. The rest of the ballot? It doesn’t matter unless you want to add an instruction on the ballot that each positive indication of a vote has to be done in precisely the same manner…. Trying to interpret this opens a can of worms. Read the instructions!
If Al Franken is a farmer, I want some of what he is growing.
Nothing in this challenge should imply that this vote should not count for Coleman, unlike the release this mere portion of the ballot which carries a heavy bias by not providing the audience with the whole context.
The challenge is about a defined counting standard, and uniformly counting ballots within those standards. In this case – does an “X” and a “filled in oval” mean counted or redacted? Once the committee decides, (not me, not you, and not the candidates) and applies that standard, if applicable to the hundreds of other challenged ballots… we will have a result.
If Franken is declared the winner I should hope Minnesota could also produce at least one “disappointed office seeker” who will take care of business and remove him from further consideration.
Franken’s challenge to that vote is funnier than any joke I ever heard come from his mouth.
So much for northerners being smarter than southerners. It looks like Minnesota voters are as inept as Florida’s. Congratulations.
Bring on the lawyers.
This is the same moron that wants to count all the empty senate boxes for himself it the voter colored in obama. What a freakiing moron.
If it were a mistake, he would have returned his ballot and would have been given a new one. Only a BAFOON like Farken would think it was other than a vote for Coleman. AL get a life
it looks like some stoned out liberal had a bad case of the lean-to’s and circled the wrong choice. then our “free the pot” lib-dem tried to correct his mistake by putting an “x” over it, stoned-thinking that this is the way to cancel that selection. slaud then puked and passed out from the major spliffage he just tokered and missed out alltogether on circle-x-ing mr. frankenschwartzstein.
All through the last two national elections all we heard was how the dems just wanted “every vote to count” and to foresee the “intention” of the voter. I guess that’s only when it’s your candidates’ vote, hmmmm…..
I am hoping for Franken, but this is obviously a scribbled vote for Coleman. If there was an alternative vote for another candidate, then I’d wonder, but there’s a mark next to Coleman and nothing to indicate that the voter wanted someone else, so it goes to Coleman.
Obviously.
He obviously meant to vote for Franken. Comon Al, give us a break.
Wow………here we go again. We are the greatest nation on earth and can’t even trust our elections at all……constant arguments. I wish once and for all someone would come up with a solution and fix this mess. Doesn’t seem like it would be that difficult to me.
Somehow the Bush Administration will be blamed for this ballot if Al loses. Obama has promised to “change” the ballots to make them simple enough for even a Franken backer to use. I have hope.
Love this quote from one of the liberal snob elitists:
Even the observers and lawyers have been instructed by their respective campaigns to not talk to the media. But Minneapolis lawyer Bill Starr, who is volunteering for the Franken campaign, was willing to say a few words. He said he thinks Franken will prevail. His hunch is based on a theory he has.
“People who voted for Coleman are more likely to have taken the SAT in their lifetime,” he said. “They’ve filled in circles. Franken voters are probably not college-educated. They’re new voters and immigrants. They’ve been brought in by groups like ACORN, from the inner cities. They’re more likely to make mistakes. I’ve bounced this off of minority people, and they agree with me.”
Franken’s a joke and MN is a bigger one!
I think most people are too stupid to be allowed to vote. An IQ test should be required with a minimum score of 75 to be issued a voting license.
Any democrat knows that this guy made a mistake. He crossed out the vote for Coleman and placed an “X” next to Frankens name. Can’t you see it, it is as clear as day.
LOL @ UP DOG! IT’S TOTALLY A VOTE FOR PRINCE! ROFL!
Is there a mark next to Franken? No? Looks like voter intent to me.
Minnesotans are going to get what they deserve. This race shouldn’t have been close- Franken is a worthless piece of colon spackle and the thought of that many people voting for him makes me sick. HE’S A COMEDIAN- DON’T YOU MORONS GET IT!!!
Franken loves this sick humor. Remember, Franken is a self proclaimed comedian, not a scholar. To him, the USA is a joke! Minn. may become another Mass. Real men are ashamed of Franken. And, he’s not funny.
I agree with phh, (November 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pm). Follow the pattern.
A mark in the Franken circle would make this questionable; as it stands, I think that the intention of the voter was pretty clear.
Oh I’m sure that this voter meant to vote for Franken. You can tell by the way the pen was moved that he was thinking franken all the way.
Give me a break. The scanner will pick this up as a vote for Coleman as would any normal person.
Franken needs to realize that he is insane and pack his bags. We will all be better off if this maniac is not a part of any government.
THIS IS A JOKE…RIGHT?
Has the weather up there in Minne-so-cold congealed your brains? I mean, really. Al Franken? Seriously?
Y’all are embarrassing yourselves.
He’s NOT good enough. He’s NOT smart enough. And doggone it, people DON’T like him.
And now he’s desperate, too. C’mon Al. Show some pride! Man up.
Oh, forget it….
It should be apparent to everyone with a brain that it is a vote for Franken. Most liberals aren’t capable of thinking on their own and since it’s against the law to have another person in the voting booth to help them place the pencil on the right spot–they put the mark by the wrong name and meant to mark it by Franken’s name– see how simple it is when you think like a liberal….. ALGORE knows
This is a good exmaple of why the US will not be around in a few years.
oh yeah, slaud’s vote should go for obama because he clearly and obviously had no idea who or what he was voting for.
Only an idiot believes this person wanted Coleman. You repiglican are so biased.
If that is not counted as a vote for Coleman, then the Democrats have stolen the election and they’ve trashed our Democracy.
I think Franken obviously is more concerned with being elected than the intent of the people or well being of the State.
Al Franken was a lousy comic until he decided to enter politics. Now he is not only a lousy comic, but a lousy politico as well. This is a case of the spoiled brat demanding that the rules be changed so he can win, just like so many other liberal maggots. The system must be changed so that anal sphincters like Franken and Gore can’t litigate their way into unearned political offices.
Bring on Jerry Springer! Jerry should move to MN – he will for sure get elected there! Ventura, Franken, Springer…says it all for MN!
It’s clearly a vote for Coleman. There isn’t even the faintest thing resembling a mark in the box for either of the other candidates. Liberals ONLY want to count votes that help THEIR candidate. Just like in 2000 when Gore ONLY wanted to count “votes” from heavily Democratic districts. “D*mn the rest of the votes, lets only count THESE!”
Please don’t send that clown to Washington.
Bill O’Reilly
Come on now, anyone can tell that this voter clearly intended to vote for Al Franken. The voter was obviously intending to draw an arrow that pointed to Franken’s name. You all need to stop disenfranchising this person just because they can’t draw.
Minne Mentality
by Mike
The silly clown who came to town,
he came to take the system down,
with plastic rims and eyes of brown,
with just some style,
a goofy smile,
that’s all it takes in Brainless Town.
All this proves is that there are approximately 50% of the voters in Minnesota who are stupid enough to vote for a clown. They deserve to be represented by a clown. The Vote is for Coleman but Democrats are smarter and deserve special treatment so throw out all votes for Coleman, those voter only deserve 2/3 of a votes anyway.
YOU GO BOZO!
I, being a from Minnesota, can hardly believe the stupidity of you guys there, voting for Franken who, if anybody bothered to look up his history, would find him nothing but a clown and a puppet. Always look who is endorsing a canditate. It will tell you much about the canditate. Find out who his friends are. Hope you don’t make the same mistake again. Also sounds to me that there is still much hate in Minnesota for President Bush, and it was taken out on Senator Coleman. You people will lose a very able Senator if Coleman looses. How could anybody vote for somebody that condones the killing of unborn children as Franken does. Senator Coleman was against the killing of unborn children.
If there any wonder that Stuart Smalley would be trying to steal an election? It’s the way dems have been getting elected since the 60′s. No one mentioned AlGore trying to get military ballots tossed out in Florida in 2000, or all the bogus claims of voter intimidation in 2000 and 2004. Instead, we get hard proof on video of Black Panthers trying to block white voters in a Philadelphia precinct, a news media completely in the tank for the Neo-Marxist Obama, and angry homosexuals trying to force their will on the voters of California who have voted TWICE to ban gay marriage. Keep it up dems and it won’t matter who casts the most votes, but who has the largest stockpile of weapons.
Al Franken learned his politics in Chicago, where the rule is “One dead man, one vote.”
Required for voting in Next Election.
1. Photo ID
2. Drivers License, or proof of citizenship
3. Previous Years Tax Return
4. Pulse
Nuff said.
Drug test all teachers, university professors and public employees regardless of paygrade or status.
Being a native Floridian, I had to make a note about the Florida voters. Remember that many (if not most) of the voters in this state are from up north. Everyone on my street moved here within the last 10 years and are mostly from New England. I’ll sum up most of the Dem voters in my state: New York Jews, retired union worker people from up north, a large and growing Hispanic “Victim” class, and african americans. The funny thing is that many of these Northern democrats tell me they came down here to escape the state income taxes LOL. Of course, then they want to import all their “what’s the city going to do for me” nonsense down here. Oh, and we also get to laugh at them when they wear their black socks to the beach. hahaha
It should be apparent to everyone with a brain that this is a vote for Franken. Most liberals are not capable of thinking on their own and since it’s against the law to have another person in the voting booth to help them place the pencil on the right spot–they put the mark by the wrong name and really meant to mark it by Franken’s name– See how simple it is when you think like a liberal….. and remember 2004, when democrats win there never is any problems or discrepencies… there mantra is, “count, and recount until you win…. that’s what the did in Oregon… ALGORE knows
Al is a joke; please send us some candidates from Kentucky and Missouri the inbreeding is killing us!!
It is obvious at first glance that this is ballot art. I can clearly see baby jesus lying in a manger superimposed over an X-Wing flying into the Death Star. Clearly a thread of symbolism the voter wished to convey. Or, I will concede, one bored dude doodling his lunch hour away.
I’d say drug test any government employee regardless of stature, and drug test ALL who request federal aid, ie Welfare.
All the scenarios for what this voter intended are interesting, but the fact is a few ballot boxes were already stuffed with Franken votes after hours during the time leading up to this recount. You think there were 24 hr guards on all these precincts even in the remotest parts of Minnesota from election day on? yeah right.
This is headline News? Clearly an effort to vote for Coleman with one hand and pleasuring one’s self with the other. Maybe they should remove the curtains from the booth…….seriously, with the economy tanking and foreign industry running rampant over our manufacturing base because of less oversight and restrictions, will someone in Washington wake up and place country first?!
It is obvious what is happening here, Franken is not finding and possible “it looks like it could have been a vote for me” ballots, so he will take ones like this and try to get it removed so he can lower Coleman’s total numbers. Makes sense since there is only a couple hundered votes difference. Calling Franken a barely passable comedian would be a high honor, I used to watch SNL and when he came on, I went to get a drink. His mentality has not changed and is still a scumbag.
Hey Franken Douche – please just go away! Crawl back into your liberal hole and just shut your cracker hole.
That was my ballott. I wrote a sentence in the circle provided. It reads “I vote for Norm Coleman because he is an honest man and Al Franken is a bumbling, lying FOOL!”
That is an obvious vote for Al Franken. There are too many Non-Ivy League educated revirewers reading the ballots if this isn’t obvious. We need to let the DNC go over them privately.
Would Stewart Smalley please just go away…
I won’t accept any votes that look like they’ve been scribbled in by a 47 chromosonal mongaloid idiot…that is of course unless they vote for me.
“If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted!!!!”
Hey Mickey Mouse – you liberal Democrats had a different tune 8 years ago when your fellow moronic left wing ilk in Florida couldn’t even figure out a butterfly ballot, you pathetic hypocrite!
How many Franken voters are, right now, asking themselves…
“My God what have I done?!”
Is there a Franken lawyer/advisor asking themselves the same question?
Go away Al Franken, Hollywood is the place you oughta be.
I won’t accept any votes that look like they’ve been scribbled in by a 47 chromosonal mongaloid idiot…that is of course unless they voted for me.
As a loyal MN republican, I feel it necessary to clarify where the Farm Labor part of the DFL comes from before the conspiracy theorists run too far with it. From 1918 – 1944 Minnesota had 3 political parties: Republican, Democrat, Farm Labor. Hubert Humphrey merged the Democrats and Farm Labor parties to form the DFL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Democratic-Farmer-Labor_Party
I say we just give Minnesota to Canada or Mexico. There’s to many mosquitoes in the summer and to dang cold in the winter. Or maybe we can trade the UK, say Minnesota for Ireland?
If you think that is extreme, then consider what State that would put BOZO THE CLOWN (a.k.a. FRANKEN) on their ticket!
It is obviously a vote for Coleman and not me.
This is simply the Democrat efforts to steal another election. They want absolute power and they don’t mind getting it dishonestly.
We need brave and loud Conservatives in leadership to call liberals on their antics:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conservative-leadership.html
Alas, it was I that cast this vote. I clearly knew I wasn’t going to win and I just felt like doodling to make it look like I was voting. I never realzied what an uproar this would have caused. Please accept my apology for this matter.
<3 Dean
Here in Massachusetts, they have Sharpies in the booths, so it’s easy to fill the bubble.
The optical reader obviously had no problem with it, or it would have spit it back.
I voted for neither Coleman not Franken. That said, the Franken camp does not appear to be seeking a Yes vote but a Null vote which would negate the vote for either which potentially could have helped my candidate.
A carnival of errors:
The Voter did not follow the rules and did not complete the oval.
The state did not supply a felt tipped permanent marker. Someone above reported pencils with erasers – seems like that may allow for fraud.
The person should have requested a new ballot. Food for thought: What if thousands did this and we ran out of ballots. Then what? The system is pathetic but then again it is a large, complex system.
Bushy’s should understand the system has flaws since he didn’t win the popular vote in 2000 and have a little more empathy. Aren’t we all Americans?
Mickey Mouse is right. And on that note, people who don’t recognize that we were intended to procreate with members of the opposite sex, shouldn’t be able to marry. After all, if they can’t follow directions…
I’m curious why this photo was cropped to remove the other two names and the write in section. Were there marks there that might have brought this ballot into question?
It’s funny how Liberals so easily resort to lying to get their way. ‘By any means necessary’. Anyone who fails to see this ballot was clearly cast for Coleman is either lying or is a complete idiot. Period.
Did I say ‘funny’? I meant pathetic, dishonest and anti-democracy…
Its a vote. Here’s how i know: Indicated the individual by placing a “mark” next to candidate. One mark , three candidates. A mistaken vote would be discarded and voter gets a new ballot or have a mark by TWO candidates. Give me a freakin break.
This is clearly a vote for Franken. Just let the Dems rule for God’s sake, I mean Satan’s sake, sorry.
Bush has caused all of these problems and the Dems will cure the world!
Its time for the Planet of the Apes!
Remember no bubble filled in is obviously a Franken vote. a bubble filled in for Franken is a Franken vote, a bubble filled in as above is a Franken vote by a voter without his glasses, and a bubble filled in for Barkley is a Franken vote by a voter without his glasses. Ballots forgotten in the trunk of your local voter registar are all Franken votes, absentee votes mailed from Chicago are all Franken votes-and so on.
Either the voter is an intelligent individual making sure there was no mistake and was voting for Coleman or they are not too bright and voting for Franken.
I grew up in Minnesota, lived there for the first 20 years of my life. I am proud and glad to have done so. I live in Arizona now, thank god. My home state has become deranged. If Stuart Smalley is elected I will not come back to my home state till he is a bitter memory. If you let him steal this election, you guys are just plain nuts.
I can’t believe that this clown Franken even made it this far but then again you have to look at the JOKE of a state he’s running in. I say we offer it to the Canadians for $500,00. We pay them the money to take it..
Franken needs to get back on the train and get into the gorilla suit where he belongs.
Clearly this is for Coleman. The voter was a little sloppy. If they had changed their mind then they would have asked for another ballot and discarded this one. I think HBO should make an original movie about this, they could use the same bozo’s that they used for their film Recount, follow the same story line, and tell everyone how they think the Republican’s are lying, underhanded theives. Franken, you lost. Get over it. Maybe SNL has a spot for you.
liberal: see “idiot”
idiot: see “liberal”
They made a mark in the circle next to the person that they wanted to vote for.
That’s All!
How can so many think is was anything else?
Once again – everyone has an opinion, and most of you are retarded. It’s called the law, people. It’s called voter intent.
My take: If the rest of the ballot looked like this (all full of squiggles), then you count it. If not (and the rest of the ballot is filled in properly), the intent appears to be that the voter crossed it out.
There, was that so hard?
Kimo — I hadn’t notice that the scribbles looked like the baby Jesus thing lying in a manger…. maybe the state of MN could sell that on eBay after Coleman wins… I saw a piece of toast with the virgin Marys likeness on it go for thousands….I’m sure they could get 100′s of thousands for it and help pay for this recount…. ALGORE knows
Must be an ACORN registered voter…
Seriously, don’t ya think she/he would have gotten another ballot if she/he REALLY wanted to vote for the clown and not the repub?
It’s obvious, he voted for Coleman. He/she is just too stupid to know whether to put an “X” in the hole or fill it in.
Stupid people should not be allowed to decide who our leaders are.
The image is a magnification of the actual oval. At normal size there is no question of the intent of the vote. Please don’t disenfranchise this voter.
See, now if that scribbly mess was next to Franken’s name on the ballot…he’d want it counted beyond the shadow of a doubt…
Al Franken has just proven why he sucked at being a comedian.
Al is a joke; please send us some candidates from Kentucky or Missouri, we are getting fed up with the inbreeding!!
It’s CLEARLY obvious to my VERY impartial eye that this voter believed you should mark the circle with an X AND a Squiggle to indicate which candidate you DIDN’T want to vote for!! So 1/2 vote should go to Franken and the other 1/2 to the other butthead, eh I mean, Barkley.
Let’s not obfuscate in some deleterious manner the comprehensive indications indicated on this ballot and place in dispute the honorificabilitudinitatibus of this voter! Notwithstanding he was insensate Gergantiunation conceived in envisageing deductive that diacritic conceivably permitted sonorousness perspicacious by commissioning morphemes that bagatelle posterior kumtux.
If that’s the case, shouldn’t every vote where even 1/10 of 1% of the oval is not bubbled in be thrown out?
After all, they weren’t 100% sure that they wanted that particular candidate.
The mere fact that Franken is even on the ballot to begin with is a complete embarrassment for the state of MN. You guys should have asked Chevy Chase to turn Republican and put him on the ballot. Then it wouldn’t matter who won.
Some guy can’t manage to color inside the lines and that’s supposed to disqualify his vote? Give me a break. This really shows how desperate Al is to steal this election. If the voter made a mistake, the X would be much larger and distinct and one of the other circles for the candidate he really wanted would be filled in! DUH!
It is obvious the voter intended to vote for Coleman. I think the real question is: How many votes should Coleman get for this ballot…..I think two……lol
That is CLEARLY A vote for Al Franken!!!
funny.
give it up, al.
This is a vote for Gore…sent immediately to Florida they are still trying to find enough votes for him to win…if not send it to Kerry he needs it also…They have only challenged this one? It is obvious for colemen…shows you what a quack this Franken is..shame on him and his party for wasting out time and tax dollars on this recount/ripoff/steal the election…
There is more ink by Coleman than Franken, so its a vote for Coleman. Period.
What does it matter anyway. Gay marriage was out-voted in Cali but the fags are still gonna protest. Just because you lose is no reason to give up, right?
That’s three votes for Gore…
Wally Jr., the G.O.P. never stole an election. What they really did, is prevent the Dumocraps from stealing. The truth hurts.
I suppose the ballot shown in the example would be counted as three votes for Frankenstein by you.
Now, one more time, we have to try to keep them from stealing again. Liberals only accept votes that are for them (see Prop 8 in CA) and only accept speech that is socialist. Their biggest bogeyman in the world is a capitalist with faith…OMG Run!
If we still had honesty and integrity in this country we would not have to worry about recounts or voter fraud
If this wasn’t a vote for Coleman, then I submit that all Franken votes started as an X and then people filled in the circle to cancel it out. Therefore, all Franken votes are void!
I agree it is a good ballot but I am curious as to why it has Farmer- labor out beside the word democratic? I dont see any extra descriptive words by the other 2
Give it up, Al. If this guy wanted to cross out his selection, he has to cross out the entire name.
It’s just a sloppy oval.
Notice that the voter made no attempt to mark for Franken.
Even I think this one’s a stretch. Let me be the first to thank Mr Franken for making me not look so bad…
this is why we just need to eliminate voting or, if voting is still deemed necessary for some reason, eliminate the secret ballots and allow party volunteers in the voting booths to help out stupid people. Voters are too stupid to know what is good for them. Why do we allow the rubes in fly-over country influence what the entire USA does? Obama should eliminate voting.
When we went to school and took tests that required we fill in a bubble, did we get the test back if we made a mistake? No one know the intent of this voter, but we do know that a mark is by Coleman’s name..case closed!
The guy obviously did not intend to cast his vote for Franken or Barkley. It is not the State’s responsibility to interpret the intent of every voter. This vote should be cast for Coleman. The voting system is very cut and dry, and if you don’t understand how to fill out a ballot then you are a moron. This being said, you are responsible for the vote you cast. Just as in any standardized test, if you mark a bubble, that is your answer whether in the end it was your intent of not.
Let’s say this guy scribbled out his X with the intent of not voting for Coleman… He obviously turned in the ballot without making any indication of wanting to vote for Franken. So therefore he knowingly turned in a ballot with a vote for Coleman with no regard to whom he voted for. How is this any different than the thousands of ballots cast for Democrats across the nation by homeless people and other non-voters in a normal election guided and pressured by ACORN?
What are you all talking about????
GIVE IT A REST! Anyone who has lived in MN for more than 15 minutes KNOWS that it’s already OVER and in the end, the DFL will steal this election for Franken no matter how ANYBODY voted. The Minnesota Democrat Farmer Labor party puts Cook County Illinois to SHAME when it comes to ability to steal elections.
Just too bad that BOTH Franken and Coleman can’t lose. Jesse, the body, in his pink feather boa and a total FLAKE would be better than EITHER Franken or Coleman.
How can you say he crossed it out. It says if you make a mistake go get a new ballot. I say his intent was to fill it in, but with failing eye sight he couldn’t keep his pencil between the lines. Its clear to me.
What a F-ing toolbag. If we snipe this obnoxious prick I guess we don’t we don’t have to worry about him then do we?
If you are supposed to push a stylus through the oval to make a hole in in the card then it not a vote. If the intention is to darken in the oval or make a mark in the oval for the selected candidate then it is a vote for Coleman. Jeesh!
wow! Cali, you’ve been trumped, and the crown goes to Minnesota! This is great. Stuart Smalley is your leader and let’s face it, you’re good enough, you’re smart enough and gosh darn it, people like you! you clowns!!!
Are they also checking their signatures on the ballots with their registrations? I have more concern about all the Acorn multible votes.
[...] No. I’m not kidding. [...]
Are there any doubters out there now about which party steals elections???
It’s the DEMOCRATS. Al Gore was on full display in 2000 but noooo that wasn’t enough so we had Washington Sate governors race stolen by Gregoire.
And now this!!! What a stinking joke of a party that the democrats have become. Can’t wait to start piling on ODuma. You Crats have 8 years of pay back coming and it’s already starting.
Either way 50% of MN is about as smart as what I flushed this morning. Al friggin Franken?? I don’t even know where to begin on this one. I hope he wins so I can make fun of you for a few years.
[...] Franken challenged this ballot [...]
You gotta LOVE the way the libs go out of their way to discount an obvious vote for Coleman.
How many “pregnant chads” were counted as votes for Gore in 2000? Libs know NOTHING but cheating. Remember how they tried to discount absentee ballots from Soldiers? That’s because Soldiers overwhelmingly vote for Republicans, AKA the ones who best support, take care of Soldiers and their families…
Clearly, this is a vote for Al Frankenstein. The voter meant to cross his vote out for Coleman, but the pen stopped working. You guys can’t see that???
So much for “count every vote”.
Who REALLY expected anything different from an America-hating fascist like Al “The Dumbest Man In America” Franken, anyhow?
If you are supposed to push a stylus through the oval to make a hole in in the card then it not a vote. If the intention is to darken in the oval or make a mark in the oval for the selected candidate then it is a vote for Coleman. Jeesh!
Democrats are sore losers and ungracious winners.
Oh, OK, so the lawyer (post: November 20th, 2008 at 11:57 am) said we are all retarded for politicizing this with our opinions. OK, a lawyer has arrived people, so we can all go home now……geez, do you see why we hate condescending lawyers??!!
give up Norm! They will steal this from you before all is said and done. I’m sure the libs have learned a few more tricks since trying to steal the presidency in 2000.
Hey folks, I can’t believe my privacy has been hijacked. Could you believe I’m net surfing and I find my ballot on the site…I’d like to know how it got there! Of Course it was a vote for Coleman. If you think that was sloppy you should see my hand writing. No really, my wife and three kids were out in the car and I was in a real hurry because of a busy day forced me to stop to vote on the way to a big family event planned for a couple of weeks – I was in the dog house. For the life of me I can’t see how the vote was even close. I mean when I think of Al Franken all I think of was the idiot train crewman in the movie “Trading Places”. Of course my wife canceled out my vote when she followed me into the voting both while I in the car with our 3 kids by voting for Big AL. The rest of the evening went great, but I still want to know how my ballot got on the internet.
Astroman
Hahaha! That’s the most absurd thing I’ve seen in weeks. Al Franken still makes me laugh.
Imagine if it were the other way around. Heck, imagine if the Coleman bubble was PERFECTLY filled in, but their was a MICROSCOPIC disturbance of fibers near the Franken bubble. The very same people screaming about how an OBVIOUS vote for Coleman should instead be counted for Franken. The FACT of the matter is these America-hating fascists look at elections in the VERY SAME way Saddam Hussein looked at them. Either you vote for the fascist, or you should be summarily executed. That’s “democracy” according to Democrats.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I’m questioning this ballot because we can’t stand for voter suppression. This person obviously intended to vote for me so it’s only fair that we throw it out. Like I promised to all my constituents, Change you can believe in!
I am 85 years old. I shake alot when I write. I did my best when I marked this ballot.
I wonder if the lever I pulled in my state, was pulled and then not pulled hard enough, or perhaps pulled too hard. Franken is an idiot either way. Count it as a vote and get on with it. I need a job. Maybe I can be paid for my ability to see an obvious vote.
dont connect the dots. but connect the lines.
im not a handwriting expert tho do look at overlapping stuctures in my job. the oval is filled in, just not neatly. most importantly, do not clearly see an “x”. there is an upper right to lower left diagonal. but not an upper left to lower right diagonal line by itself, lines coursing in that direction connect to other curving lines, so thats part of those “squiggles”, not half of an “x”.
So much for voting in secret in MN. What comes next. We now have the name of the voter and his secret choice.
Thats how Hitler got his JOB.
What do you expect from the Democrats?
The DNC and Howard Dean disenfranchised the voters in Michigan and Florida, so they could anoint Obama the nominee in the corrupt party run caucus states, and deny Hillary Clinton the momentum of an early lead.
Letter from Hillary Clinton campaign lawyers:
“þ Caucus chairs obviously supporting Obama:
þ Preference cards were premarked for Obama.
o Deliberately miscounted votes to favor Senator Obama.
o Deliberately counted unregistered persons as Obama votes.
o Deliberately counted young children as Obama votes.
o Refused to accept preference cards from Clinton supporters who were at the caucus site by noon on the ground that the cards were not filled out fast enough.
o Told Clinton supporters to leave prior to electing delegates”
Watch, somehow the democrats will attempt to turn this into a vote for Frankenstein. Of course, they want Acorn’s 5000 fake votes to count though.
Franken is a real mule’s hind end. It’s fitting that he’s a representative (and what a Great one) of the Donkey party.
The people who want to get rid of all Coleman’s ballots, while creating new Franken ballots, are pathetic in their felonius use of the system.
WOW!!! Talk about trying to steal an election. Does this person have to write on the ballot, “I am voting for Coleman” for his vote to count?!?!
Franken is trying to get selected not elected…How does it feel all you whiney Liberals?!?!?
And this is why Democrats have slammed the electronic voting machines for the last eight years. With paper ballots they can argue that this vote was a vote for Franken or at a minimum NOT a vote for Coleman.
Al Franken is attempting to steal the election. He should be tried for treason. Anyone who attempts to tear down the American electoral system in a partisan effort to put Stuart Smalley in the Senate should join him on trial.
Sadly it won’t happen but the very fact that this ballot could be challenged and the blowback at the obvious effort to undermine the American election system wouldn’t have Franken laughed out of the running says bad things about this country.
Americans get the leadership they deserve. Increasingly its looking like they deserve Al Franken.
If someone else challenged this vote, I could just imagine Franken’s comedy routine in which he parodys the challenger’s “sincerity”. Franken is a good comedian, but this is a serious job in which he does not belong.
May as well let franken have it. Let the left wing kooks ruin our country a couple of years or until the pinheads that voted these leftist clowns into office are convinced enough they got bamboozled. At this point, its our only chance.
An attorney says:
Yeah, Zippy the pinhead attorney.
“Once again – everyone has an opinion, and most of you are retarded. It’s called the law, people. It’s called voter intent”
OK this lawyer is smarter than all of you and KNOWS the voters intent, presumably because he has a gifted legal mind, you sods.
Zippy says: “My take: If the rest of the ballot looked like this (all full of squiggles), then you count it. If not (and the rest of the ballot is filled in properly), the intent appears to be that the voter crossed it out”
Well there you have it, GOD has spoken. Any of you that don’t agree with Zippy/GOD are just a bunch of idiots that can’t SEE the voters clear intent as well as our gifted “Attorney”
Ah to finally have a precise reading from a member of the BAR, now I think I’ll VOMIT!
The vote is clearly for Coleman. If the voter made a mistake, he/she can request a new ballot and the first one would be discarded. Ballots that are not secured for processing, by the time the polls closed, should not be regarded as valid. If you miss the time deadline to vote, it’s the voter’s fault. There’s no “make-up” or “extra credit” voting, and certainly ballots that magically or suspiciously appear out of the trunk of someone’s car after the polls have closed should be discarded. It’s better to err on the side of caution and go with the ballots that were secured in a timely fashion. Remember all those military votes that were not counted simply because they did not arrive in Virginia on time? Most of them would probably have gone to McCain. What’s sauce for McCain is sauce for Franken.
Probably a blonde who couldn’t spell “X”. There is clearly NO mark for Barkley and NO mark for Franken. Just as clearly there IS a mark on the bubble for Coleman. Unless the State hires only state-certified professional mind-readers as ballot counters, nobody has any business trying to divine the voter’s “intent.”
This ballot shows clear evidence of a Coleman vote, and this challenge shows clear evidence of Franken’s attempt to steal the election.
Franken is a Diaper wearing Fruitcake. If he steals this election America and the state on Minnesota are Through.
There is no mark in or near Franken’s box. The person voted for Coleman. You challengers are so stupid that you will deny the sun is shining at noon and you want to run our country.
God help us protect ourselves from malicious beings like you.
I never thought there were so many morons in Mn who would have voted for Franken to begin with. Didn’t they ever watch Sat. Nite Live???? What a poor excuse for a politician he is, they must have really been scraping the bottom of the barrel….maybe Jesse Ventura should have run….
The fact that Frankin is close tells me that Minnesota is chock full of idiots…
Drudge, filling in the all the facts for his readers, as usual.
We just switched to this same kind of optical in my town and I don’t like it. The old one had you connect an arrow pointing to each candidate.
I didn’t know they had a new ballot and filling in the oval made me think of taking tests back in elementary school so I got a little PO’D.
Maybe that what’s happened to this guy? Maybe he doesn’t like the silly ballot so he was just sloppy about it.
The markings don’t touch the oval of EITHER of the other two candidates, (it’s really a little closer to Barkley), so anyone challenging that it belongs to EITHER of them is a moron. If the voter made a mistake – he could have gotten a new ballot. He didn’t – so it’s an obvious vote for Coleman.
OOOOOO! There’s another one with the mark a little outside the oval! Let’s challenge that one too! Challenging this ballot DEFINES Al Franken as the complete JACKA** that he is.
Wow, if this is not telling about how a tour by Mr Frankin would be the I don’t know what is. Oh, wait maybe I do! Can you say the popular vote in California that turned down the gays? Yes this is exactly the same. Let’s eliminate the popular vote, let the fringe radical groups set our policy and if they don’t get there way then you legislate from the bench. We need wholesale cleaning in our government…
“this is probably a mistake that the voter tried to eradicate”
What does Obama have to do with this?
Clearly Franken knows this is Coleman vote, but as a Minnesotan I can guarantee that there were many Obama voters who did not vote for Franken ( how anyone could, I cannot understand ), and left that portion of the ballot blank. This is a ploy to get non-votes with ANY accidental or incidental mark anywhere near Frankens bubble counted for Franken in the hopes of tipping it his way.
And in Minnesota, the Democrat party is called the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Pary ( DFL ). Its a ploy to trick farmers and laborers….
The logical argument Al Franken could make and win:
1. This voter obviously had strong feelings. Everyone knows my voters vote on Emotion.
2. This voter obviously hates Norm Coleman. Based on all the X’s and other marks near Coleman’s name. Everyone knows voters who vote for me, Al Franken, are hate filled and my ads were designed to appeal to this.
3. This voter was so dumb he believed you were supposed to mark the candidate you hated. Everyone knows Al Franken voters have no idea what they are voting for.
Based on this logical and fact filled argument Al Franken has a good chance of wining this challenge.
How anyone could vote for a guy that looks like Alfred E. Newman, goes under a stage name and spearheaded an utter failure of a radio network is beyond me. This guy is a clown and that fact that he was even nominated makes a joke of the electoral system. Not to mention that people actually votes for this goofball. Are there bayous in MN?
What has happened to common sense? Just the fact that Minnesota would elect Franken to the senate should be enough to throw them out of the Union. Give Minnesota to Canada, and we’ll annex…er… Afghanistan! All those tribal leaders there can have independence and casinos. And it gives us a nice toe hold on Asia. I swear, the lunatics have indeed taken over the asylum.
Typical of both Franken and the Democrat Party. Back in 2000 it was the Democrat Party crying and whining over their losing and so they challanged their own drivers licenses if they had to, to manufacture enough votes to win out over the “big bad evil Republicans” and now it’s happening all over again. I just wish to God that a Judge would step in and tell Franken to shut the F up and go home because he lost.
Don’t you imbeciles of the Democrat Party get it? You keep yelling about how the rest of the world things the U.S. is so stupid and weak, yet it’s exactly because of your spoiled cry-baby antics and challenging obviously valid votes that make our country look no better than the Chavez lead dictatorship of Venezuala.
It’s the DEMOCRAT PARTY who makes this country look weak and foolish, not the Republicans.
This recount is yet again more undeniable proof the the collective stupidity of the whiny, elitist, knee-jerk, bleeding-heart (for their own elitist friends) uber-liberal Democrat Party is surpassed ONLY by their incredible and mind numbing intellectual dishonesty.
Face it Franken: you were a drug addled jagoff when you thought you were “funny” as a “writer” for SNL and you’re very obviously STILL a drug addled jagoff, you still think you’re “funny”, but it’s obvious that your life is now a sad pathetic caricature of was even back then, a sad pathetic caricature.
Coleman wins, Franken “The Fool” loses, end of story.
This is clearly a vote Al Franken. Whats more is that this voter voted for Al Gore in 2000, but his ballot was eliminated erroneously because he managed to punch holes for both Bush and Gore. Its so sad that politics can’t be removed from the vote counting system.
I can’t believe this. Are you serious? Dems are slimy…
phh is a goat lover
There are two mistakes. One is writing with invisible ink in the oval next to Franken, and the other is thinking Franken is a “Farmer”
Did the voter put ‘X’s just to realize that the bubbles were supposed to be filled in, going back at that point to fill them in? It doesn’t make sense that the voter would “accidentally” vote for Coleman just to squiggle it out in a way that looks like she/he was trying to fill it in and then vote for no one.
That’s my ballot. I can tell by my handwriting. I accidentally voted for Coleman and tried to cross it out. I was so distraught, I forgot to mark Franken like I clearly intended. I was very angry. These ballots were obviously printed by a Republican printer. Why else would they put Franken as choice number 3? I was very confused. Now I’m just angry that my vote won’t count as I clearly intended. I accidentally voted for Bachman too. Evil ReTHUGlicans make me sick.
There is no other bubble marked. The choice is clearly for Norm Coleman. duh
I am not from Minn, so can someone tell me what a “Democratic-Farmer-Labor” party is? I mean, what a bunch of bull. Why not add some more voter appealing words like poor, handicapped, reformer. And then have Coleman as Republican-Wealthy-Big Business.
Minnesota may be the most wacked-out state in the union.
“Mickey Mouse posted: “If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted!!!!”
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Following the same logic, this voter actually voted three times and since “we need to make sure every vote counts” we must count three votes for Norm Coleman just like the Democrats demand. According to the Democrats it would be wrong to discriminate against Illegal Aliens or Legal Aliens or Convicted Felons or any other illegal vote. ALL THE VOTES MUST BE COUNTED, just as the Democrats demand.
I think we should send the ballot to a forensic scientist, lift the prints, hunt the person down and interrogate them as to their true intent of their vote. If their true intent was to vote for Franken, take them out behind the barn they were born in and spank them silly…
Clearly this voter intended to vote for Obama. Or maybe Al Gore…..
If you mark a ballot like that, and then want to change your mind or cross it out or whatever, you need to ask for a new ballot or blacken out the whole row including the name and clearly select an alternative. There’s no reason to second-guess that the bubble next to Coleman’s name was intended to be marked, and Franken’s bubble was untouched.
The benefit of the doubt has to go to Coleman, and for the Franken supporters, you would see it that way too if Franken had a bubble so marked and no mark for Coleman. Give it up.
i am al franken. yes thats right. and the above voter card was, well, in all actuality, mine. thats right, i admit it – this voter card above is al franken’s voter card. and yes indeed, i did vote for coleman, as the card reflects. unfortunately, the pen i used was just not working right, and thus, this was the result. yours truly, al
ps – obama you are officially on notice – i will be the new president in 2012.
First?
If Franken has integrity, then I don’t think he wants to get into the game of challenging less than perfectly filled out ballots. Left-wing voters are proven to be far more challenged in that department. (That is a fact, not a slur.) He should advocate accepting even the most vaguely completed ballots.
If Franken is totally without integrity, he will play the game of challenging imperfect ballots in heavily Republican areas, while accepting even the most vague vote in heavily Democratic ones. If Coleman is without integrity, he will do the reverse. If he has integrity he should ask that only correctly completed ballots be counted.
I suspect that neither of them have any integrity, which is why I always vote for the Libertarian.
The person was probably laughing so hard that Franken’s name was on the ballot, that the X turned into a squiggly. Either that, or they got gas when they saw his name – either way…it’s the same. What were the “instructions” on the ballot – put an “X” in your candidate’s oval, or “Mark” the oval?? There’s 2 ovals that are blank, and one that has pen in it….if there were 3 toilets in a restroom, 2 were clean and one was “used” – well, I guess I know which one the Franken Voters would choose.
That isn’t an “X” look at it. There is no bottom right diagonal line. Only right angled slash which means that was their vote, then they saw they had to fill it in and did that… looks pretty simple to me.
Jodie posted:
“I can’t believe this. Are you serious? Dems are slimy…”
*********************************
Now, now be nice. If you were Laboring on a Farm all day and walking in the crap that comes out of Democrats mouths you would be all slimy too.
Based on the picture alone, this person clearly did not vote for Franken or Barkley. The rest of the ballot would better determine if this is consistent with his/her voting procedure. Why does the media only give you 1/10 of the story?
[...] (Link) [...]
Al Frankin is a Idiot wrapped in a moron…It is clearly a vote for Joe Liberman !…..Honor in politics has left the building a long time ago…Pray for my country.
I agree with Phh. It depends how the rest of the ballot was filled out. If they all look like a scribble the it is a clear vote for Coleman. BUT if the rest are perfectly filled in circles then I think they changed their mind on their vote for Coleman.
Obviously a racist voter because he didn’t vote for the Democrat. Throw it out!
LOL UP Dog
I guess ballot thievery is acceptable as long as the liberal side wins. Everything points to the fact that no matter who wins, Franken still has the appearance and intelligence of a cotton tampon. However, I guess that makes him perfect for Congress.
Al Frankin is a Idiot wrapped in a Moron…..It is clearly a vote fot Joe Liberman…Honor in politics left the building a long tome ago… Please pray for my country…
Let’s use some common sense here…does this person appear to have voted for Barkley?
No.
Does this person appear to have voted for Franken?
No.
Does this person appear to have voted for Franken?
Yes.
It’s CLEARLY obvious to my VERY impartial eye that this voter believed you should mark the circle with an “X” AND a “Squiggle” to indicate which candidate you DIDN’T want to vote for!! So 1/2 vote should go to Franken and the other 1/2 to the other butthead, eh I mean, Barkley.
Let’s not obfuscate in some deleterious manner the comprehensive indications indicated on this ballot and place in dispute the honorificabilitudinitatibus of this voter! Notwithstanding he was insensate Gergantiunation conceived in envisageing deductive that diacritic conceivably permitted sonorousness perspicacious by commissioning morphemes that bagatelle posterior kumtux.
Are the people of Minn. Insane? Why would they allow such garbage to go on out of Franken’s group? I am an independent but I assure you America will not survive with the number of cheats and frauds that have now immersed themselves in the political system. This vote is for Coleman for sure and don’t say it was a stupid voter because at least 50 million voted who cannot tell you what the 2nd Amendment states. Why are the complete ignorant allowed to vote. We will not survive with such ignorance!!!
That mark is just a dead smashed mosquito.
Hum – no marks by Barkley, no marks by Franken, marks by Coleman… Don’t see how anyone could argue anything but a vote for Coleman, but remember the Democratic voting motto – count every Democratic vote and count until the Democrat wins.
Al Franken wrote a book titled “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot”. I can see now why Al was qualified to write a book such as this. He knows firsthand all about being an idiot.
I was Al Franken’s partner for years and I know what a douche bag he really is. Always hogging the blankets. But seriously…what a sham our election process has become. Letting people in prison vote and now this..
Frankin is a winner…eh, I mean whiner!!
clearly his intent was Franken, looks as though he was clearly trying to cross out his mistake.
You’d have to be a partisan moron to think that vote wasn’t for Coleman.
What IS obvious (or at least should be) is that NO ONE can ascertain the intentions of another human being.
Democrats are not good at following rules. First they said Flordia and Michigan convention delegates wouldn’t be seated. Then they changed the rules. Let’s not change the rules mid-process here.
There ARE rules about how these ballots must be counted. It does not matter what you or I think about what the voter’s intentions were. The only thing that matters is the rules, and following them strictly.
If this ballot as pictured, according to the counting rules, counts for Coleman, so be it. If not, it doesn’t.
STOP with the “the voter obviously meant…” because you sound like a moron when you dish out nonsensical absolutes like that.
Franken is a damn joke! He was a bad comedian and now he is a bad politician.
Every vote that was not for a democrat should be challenged. People get real out there no one in their “right” mind would vote for a republican. You lost the Presidential election so get over it. There are plenty of reasons that this vote should be challenged and the vote awarded to mr. franklin. If you can’t figure it out then to bad for you. I will bet my liberal friends see the obvious here. Al Franklin would have had my vote if I lived in Montana.
I’m sorry but does either of the other ovals have any mark at all? “NO”! Is the one next to Coleman marked? “YES”! If anything, the question of “X” or “SCRIBBLE” just means that the voter was just so adamant for Coleman that they wanted to insure their vote by the double mark or they misunderstood the marking instructions. Come on folks, this is an obvious vote for Coleman.
Three choices: vote for Franken, vote for Coleman, vote for no one. No mark is in Franken’s oval, so this wasn’t a vote for him. There are marks in Coleman’s oval, so it may be a vote for him. If the voter intended to vote for no one, none of the ovals would be marked at all. It wouldn’t have to be crossed out because there wouldn’t be any mark at all. It’s a Coleman vote.
If you are so stupid you don’t think this ballot was for the Republican, you are just a moron. Were there any marks anywhere else on the ballot except for the Republican? NO. So there is no other choice than the Republican. Smart are these vote counters, just like the guy who was examining the hanging chad. What loser would question this vote. I would be more concerned about the 29 votes, all for Frankin, that were in the back seat of someones car.
If this person “crossed out” their vote, why didn’t they fill-in an oval for Franken or the other guy?
It appears the vote is simply being dismissed for not coloring in the lines neatly.
There ARE still people that don’t understand that an optical scanner needs to read this, and simply put a check or “x” in the box. I’ve also seen many cases of people with arthritis that don’t have enough strength or control of their fingers to write clearly.
But, I’m sure ACORN would be glad to register plenty of kindergarteners as democrat voters, that are quite capable of coloring in the lines very neatly. From the results of the last election I think that’s exactly what we got.
I thought the Demosocialists were all about “counting every vote”, “the will of the voter”, “voter intent”, etc…. It appears to any monkey that can read that this voter is a dumb ass but intended to vote for Coleman.
Is this a democratic country or not?? Let’s vote on whether this ballot should be counted or not!
Clearly a vote for Coleman. My dead grandmother is a better candidate than Franken. How he received that many votes is a mystery to me. That’s the best DFL candidate there is??? Wow.
well well say this if Frank looses then he will take it to the Cal. court to have it over turned .. just like prop.8 is… sure vote… but dont like it will show you and do as we want…
Am I the only one who thinks that this is obviously a vote for Coleman, and Franken is a douche?
Unbelievable. It amazes me that there is such a fuss over one ballot.
The question I have is how can anyone take Al Franken as a serious contender. How could you find 1.5 million people in the entire country – let alone one state – vote for that stooge. Greg in Savannah
Hey “Mr. Mehoff” The election was held in Minnesota, not Montana, dumb ass! LOL
Like his entire campaign, this is a blatant publicity stunt.
Clyde wrote:
“I am not from Minn, ….
Minnesota may be the most wacked-out state in the union.”
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When it comes to counting votes try WA State. Here in WA the rules are a little different:
1. Each precinct can keep counting and re-counting and finding more misplaced ballots until the Democrats can run up a lead State Wide.
2. Heavily Democratic precincts always have many times more ballots dropped behind copiers and more handling of ballot boxes behind closed doors with only Democratic Elected Officials present – which is normal and acceptable to the Wa Courts.
3. WA Courts are very understanding that serious clerical errors happen in heavily Democratic precincts – after all Democratic elected officials are only human once they get behind closed doors with the ballot boxes – and there is no problem if Hundreds or even Thousands more ballots are found and counted in a heavily Democratic precinct’s ballot boxes than the number of people who actually signed in to vote in that precinct.
4. And the rule which trumps every other rule in WA State: however many re-counts it takes – once the Democratic candidate finally takes the lead state wide – all recounting is over and the last re-count is the only one which counts.
My Gawd Edith, they try to take away his vote again! Next thing you know they are going to steal the election! He must be a commie!
Does anything anywhere say Franken is trying to get this vote in his column? He is either trying to establish precedent for this type of vote being counted or not being counted.
It should be pretty obvious based on the rest of the ovals on this ballot if this is a Coleman vote, or a non-vote/mistake. Based on the rest of the votes on the ballot, it should be clear if Franken wants votes like this counted or not. My guess is he really wants it counted, cause he knows his voters are morons.
Wow a lot of people on here actually think that this vote shouldn’t count. To all people who think that this vote shouldn’t count: You are all ignoramuses. There is no argument or discussion. If Stewart Smalley wants all votes to count then he needs to obviously count this one. I’d say from reading that 25% think this vote shouldn’t count. Glad I moved out of Minnesota to Iowa. Where people are mostly sane. I award you all no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
These are the reasons I no longer support the Democrat party. Poor sports win or lose.
In Wa State there are CLEAR instructions on how to CANCELL a mismarked vote.
I bet the same holds true for Minn.
Otherwise, I say it COUNTS for Coleman.
When I have no vote I mark the write in bubble and write the word “NONE.”
Go ahead and let the clowns miscount that one!
This was clearly a vote for Franken, I tried to ‘X’ out the mistake I made which of course was for NaziCon Norm Coleman who I would never ever ever vote for in a million years!
Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!
I read the voter intent law for MN (except for the Yes + No = No vote “divining” criteria, it’s not as bad as some people supporting Coleman have made it out to be). And by the law it indeed ought to be taken in as a vote for Coleman. There is an affirmative mark for Coleman and no mark in proportion to Coleman’s mark near Franken or Barkley vote. There’s no ambiguity here. Trying to see the X as a no but not a yes is like looking for an image of the virgin mary in the toast.
I suspect that a lot of the “faintly” filled in ones that one machine didn’t want to give for Franken were, similarly, legal fair and square Franken votes. Sauce for the goose kids. But by all means, let’s pretend that that X is a no just to keep the story juicy.
That said, gosh! Can’t anyone read the frelling directions in a ballot? Fill in the pretty little round not-quite-a-circle whatzitz with the long pointy stick people and make it dark. It ain’t rocket science.
[...] Or because? The bubble beside Norm Coleman’s name appeared to have both an X and a squiggle in it, but the Al Franken campaign wants the state Canvassing Board to rule on whether it should count. [...]
I am disturbed by the number of people who say “If they can’t do it right they don’t get a vote.”
Surely you don’t mean that. We abolished reading tests and poll taxes for a reason, and it was so that everyone got a vote. Even people who can’t fill out a ballot because they don’t read the directions, can’t understand the directions, don’t speak English, are in a wheelchair, are paralyzed. Everyone.
the Democrats are hell bent to steal this election so they can have a filibuster proof senate, and complete control of the government.
Well, the US is going to hell in a hand basket anyway. The Republicans may as well let the Democrats have total control so that the Democrats will look stupid when they try and blame the Republicans.
The Republicans should let the little hateful Creep steal the election. It is not like the little jerk isn’t trying to steal it. Let him get in there so that Minnesota becomes an embarassment like Maxine Water’s district is an embarassment.
It can’t get better until we hit bottom, and Franken IS the definition of hitting the bottom of the barrel of humanity.
If Franken wins, tell your kids to skip learning Spanish and go straight to Chinese.
With all due respect to the retarded, why are all liberals retarded?
All the Democrats who try to support Franken in this obvious theft are such slime. For them this is not about democracy, it is about stealing power however they can so they can enforce an agenda on America.
This is why there are rules on how votes are counted. If idiot wanted to not vote for Coleman than he should have got a new ballot.
Democrats that can’t win fairly always try find other ways…
Vote Early Vote Often… Democrat motto
Go to the lawyers… Democrat motto
Move to Ohio just for the election…
Vote in more than one state…
I’m surprised his lawyers haven’t tried to say that all Coleman votes were actually votes or him.
Whatz wrong with you retardz? Isn’t there a bodybuilder or pro wrestler available to elect? You all have to go try to elect a failed comic/failed radio host? Why can’t you guys elect fine upstanding people like Kwame or Jenny?
Minnesota – you will get what you deserve. You ‘tardz are the laughing stock of the states. People from New Jersey can now hold their head high next to you. LOL. LOL.
Snuff all three, the world will be a better place.
Snuff all three, the world will be a better place.
That is correct in MN if you make a mistake, you are to request a new ballot. Even when voting by absentee you can request a new ballot. Also this is a mandatory recount required by MN law. The margin of victory fell within .5%, meaning a recount is required. Then within days… before the recount even started, Coleman’s lead was decreased by more than half…This is the second time i have been ashamed to live in MN, the first when we elected Jesse Ventura our Governor.
Franken is an imbecile. In a state that overwhelmingly voted for Obama 400,000 Obama Voters crossed over to vote Coleman. Just unheard of. Shows you that even Obamabots might not know whos the VP, or who leads Congress or the senate ,or who Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are ,they do know FRANKEN IS A JERK LOL
I wouldn’t expect anything less from a liberal politician or his supporters. How much more dishonest, calculating, conniving, power-hungry, immoral, uneducated and emotional do they have to become before liberals will finally hang their heads in shame? (The correct answer is that they will NEVER be ashamed but will only become more self-aggrandizing and arrogant as they drive the country over the edge to its’ destruction.)
Bill wrote: “That said, gosh! Can’t anyone read the frelling directions in a ballot? Fill in the pretty little round not-quite-a-circle whatzitz with the long pointy stick people and make it dark. It ain’t rocket science.”
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This is a hand recount of every ballot. Both those the machine could read and those the machine could not read. I will bet the machine had no problem reading this one at all.
People are lazy and do the minimum necessary to vote. This method works fine.
The individual who opined that this is some type of stalking horse to get a ruling that any type of mark must be interpreted as a vote for someone is likely correct.
Heavily Democratic precincts in MI have already found hundreds of votes for this extreme left wing, foul mouthed, comedian by doing just such “interpretation” of the ballots.
Obviously an illiterate Democrat voter, not realizing that Franken was on the ballot, tried to write in ‘Al Franken’ but since he didn’t know how to spell, he ended up with this mess.
“The American people pretend to be Free, the rulers in Washington pretend to Agree”.
Death to Tyrants and Swindlers
Gore supporters were trying to get votes based dimples on the card and now Franken is objecting to this ballot. Looks like a dimpled chad to me. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Show a little character Frankin.
I sincerely doubt that Franken ever saw the ballot in question. It’s more likely that there is a lot of petty fighting going back and forth with Franken and Coleman aides splitting hairs with state officials.
It’s also doubtful that Franken’s campaign is claiming that the voter in question intended to vote for Franken, and more likely that ballots marked similarly for Franken were rejected by scanners and never counted, setting off a tit-for-tat.
Has anybody stopped to notice that this “story” came from a blogger on the StarTribune.com’s “Whistleblower” section? We have a bunch of dumba$$es here who look at this pic and immediately start writing about Franken’s total lack of common sense, accepting totally at face value the idea that an editor for a Minnesota paper is a reputable source simply because he was given an assignment to blog about the recount.
I voted for Obama but clearly this is a vote for a Republican; and it should count. There is no doubt about who this voter supports, and democratically we cannot quash his or her voice. Elections aren’t about coloring within the circles, they are about the intentionality of the electorate and the subsequent consciousness of the polis.
Franken is a slob. I would guess to say that the alleged ignorant Sarah Palin could have figured this one out. It’s amazing what these Bolsheviks will try and do to promote their angry hippie agenda.
I’m so truly embarrassed for the state of Minnesota for allowing themselves to even be in this mess in the first place. I feel so sorry that anyone would actually consider electing a comedian for the senate. Because the majority of people elected Jesse Ventura to be the governor, and now Franken is in the running, we can’t chalk this up to being a “fluke”. People in Minnesota should be so embarrassed. PLEASE sell the Vikings and let them get away from this environment! PLEASE I beg you–then they might be able to win a super bowl somewhere else!!!!
Mickey Mouse says:If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted! I agree. That would eliminate a huge percentage of the Obama vote. Paranam
Is Franken the best Democrats have to offer in Minnesota? I’ll bet most of you Democrats voted straight ticket. Do me a favor and stay out of Texas. Our economy is running fine. Taxes are low and government is small. We are prosperous.
Guys like Franken sleep under an overpass in Texas.
If 52 Million of us get together and protest the presidential election, maybe we can get the Supreme Court to declare that unconstitutional. Maybe then we would end up with a President instead of what we got. What did we get?
As someone who has actually been a precinct chair with both Republicans and Democrats counting votes on election night until 3 am, I would like to point something out to the uninformed.
It is a great deal different in sitting at the Star Tribune or posting comments here instead of sitting and looking at ballots of real people who took the time to go and vote. It is the gravest and deepest of responsibilities as I would never want my vote thrown out for making a mistake.
In my precinct, I knew the people were honest. I knew election representatives were honest, so when ballots would come in from not too intelligent people who could not follow directions and either a Democrat or Republican counter would come to me asking for a judgment I always erred on the side of counting that vote.
People would erase which would disqualify, but I would not disqualify a vote because people were stupid as I viewed even stupid people’s voting as sacred.
Certainly, there were 6 to 12 ballots which did not meet strict standards in in recounts the county would always toss them as was their judgment, but I at least gave the people I represented in my precinct every benefit.
Where I would draw the line though is a bushel of 100 ballots showing up the next day as happened with Al Franken twice. That type of nonsense is criminal as there are ballot boxes and one just does not misplace ballot boxes, especially when they all are marked for Al Franken in disproportionate numbers than Barack Obama or other Democrats.
In those situations every voter must be tracked down, their voting confirmed off of registration lists and then try to ascertain if they voted or not. That is county investigation though and not a precinct.
I rarely agree with the pompous nature of Minnesota from Don Shelby to Eric Eskola, but Minnesotans for the most part are like Hubert Humphrey in being good honest Americans. Al Franken though in his Chicago type electioneering fraud and showing up in Congress is placing a nationwide black mark on Minnesota, because every story coming out is like the one above in showing Al Franken in the poorest possible character.
Mark Dayton was not up to the task. Paul Wellstone was bizarre, but for the most part Minnesotans have a Humphrey tradition on all levels of being sound in leadership that crosses parties. It is a shame that people who disliked President Bush thought voting for Al Franken was a reproof as on a national objective scale, Mr. Franken looks like a sleazy thug pretender stealing an election.
It certainly does not help in Esme Murphy chiming in with her nonsense at WCCO either. Mr. Franken has dug a hole and it would take pristine leadership, reaching across the aisles to the GOP for at least 2 terms to undo what he has done.
Remember Minnesota, that LBJ never did undo his crooked dealings in Texas. Once a politician looks petty, a thug and stealing an election, the entire state is thought of in that way.
Al Franken will be the biggest asset for the GOP if he steals this election as he will infuriate the right and will embarrass the Democrats in either hitting someone or ranting as he did on Sen. Coleman where Mrs. Franken had to stop him from getting physical.
This is the character of Minnesota issue and Al Franken will be the face of Minnesota along with the disaster of Jesse Ventura who indebted Minnesota.
It is a long way from HHH which Minnesota has gone to.
Minnesota don’t let things get into a pi$$ing contest like they did here in Florida in 2000. No one here had the GONADS to stand up and tell people that its YOUR responsibility as a citizen to do it right or keep your dumb a$$ away from the polls. We ended up spending about twenty million on touch screens voting machines until someone with a BRAIN figured out that it left no evidence in case of a computer meltdown could wipe out the whole election. So note we’re back to paper, then same kind as in the photo, and the MORONS that yelled about DISENFRANCHISEMENT cost the tax payers about twenty million. I think they should have to pay for their pi$$ing and moaning. Don’t let it happen to your state.
This ballot is a non-issue. It’s clearly a vote for Coleman by an 85 year old crazy woman.
Hey Mr. Reality check, why do you people on the right have to make personal attacks just because someone makes an honest mistake. I am not real good with geography and got confused with Montana and Michigan. So that makes me a dumbass? I do not think so. Typical of the response of the right, best answer is to make a personal attack when you have not a single fact to defend your position. Mr. Franklin will win this election fair and square with what ever help is at his disposal. I don’t think you all will scare us off this time like you did in Florida by hanging that Chad guy.
It appears that the voter put an X by Coleman’s name, realized it was a mistake, and scribbled over the X. I’ve seen, and done, the same on bubble-check tests. But why didn’t the person then put an X on another name? And, as others have said, why not check how other votes appeared on the same ballet? If they all looked like this one, then the vote was obviously for Coleman.
If he wanted to vote for someone other than Coleman don’t you think he would have put his mark next to another candidates name?
We need that genius from Florida with the cross eyes and glasses to verify these ballots.
1/2 of the voters from minn. must be about two fries short of a happy meal to vote for a complete moron like franken. are you people for real??
It’s just plain embarrassing that #1 Franken actually got votes in my state and # 2 Franken is still around #3 That I am leaving a comment on a comment page about this
I agree with Hannity who told me to come here just now. This is clearly just a vote for Coleman. Please God keep America whole.
Al Franken is a bully.
Some voter lacks the physical ability to fill in the circle to the satisfaction of some bureaucrat, and Franken wants him disenfranchised.
Mickey wrote: “If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted!!!!”
Well… that rules out the Democrats.
A challenge to all liberals commenting that this vote should NOT be allowed for Norm Coleman. If this ballot designated Al Franken and Coleman challenged it, how would you react?
If you use this little exercise on each policial controversy that comes up, you might not be so blinded by your own bias. It’s simple yet effective . . .
My gosh,,,Minnesota are you just gonna stand by and let that Franklen steal your election????Get together and go get a lawyer and sue him…Don’t let him make a mockery of your election…
Good to see the communist party, oops, Imean the democrat party trying to steal an election. Good to see that America as a free land has been crushed by these liberal power hungry communist thugs. This country is going to hell….Thank Democrats. You democrat voters are moronic and should be dumped in a pool urine…..
If you weren’t scared before this of what’s to come with the new regime in America, are you now?
what in the world is the “Democrat-Farmer-Labor” party? That’s hilarious. Why didn’t Franken just list himself as the “All-Things-to-All-People” party?
To all those who think this voter “clearly” did not intend to vote for Coleman – why didn’t he/she mark either of the other candidates.
What a joke. Coleman wins.
Another Democrat FIX !!!
Franken doesn’t have the brains to come up with this shameless plan of attack. It takes the inspiration of a smart inventor…like the guy who invented the internet…the same guy who created and bought up allot of stocks in the “green industry” and is now fear mongering to make you buy into it. Yes that Nobel Peace prize winning son of a tobacco farmer…ol’ what’s his ass. I say the state of Minnesota is responsible if Al Freaken steals this election. You will be the laughing stock of the nation. Get on the phone, or get out to that precinct and protest this degenerate scum!
what in the world is the “Democrat-Farmer-Labor” party? That’s hilarious. Why didn’t Franken just list himself as the “All-Things-to-All-People” party?
To all those who think this voter “clearly” did not intend to vote for Coleman – why didn’t he/she mark either of the other candidates?
What a joke. Coleman wins.
Is it possible this voter couldn’t control a pen well enough to make a neat circle? Parkinson’s, palsy, whatever? Come on folks, give some leeway here – they’re not necessarily crazy or stupid.
If that was a lottery ticket, it would have “counted”.
You’ve got to be kidding me! And you want this Franken character making decisions for our country?
Perhaps he is challenging this ballot because he wants to see where the line is drawn. Perhaps there are many similar ballots out there that appear to be for Franken but are not being counted.
This is so obviously a vote for Coleman, it makes Franken look like an idiot for challenging it…
Is that the type of person they want in MN?
Ok, let’s say he didn’t mean to vote for Coleman. Who did he vote for? Let’s look really close now and someone tell me what other oval got covered up?…Nope it wasn’t Franken or the other one either. Gotta say no matter what else you can find, Coleman is the only oval with anything in it. My 89 year old dad can’t color between the lines either, but he can vote.
Clearly that is a vote for Coleman.
Anyone trying to say otherwise has a serious sickness between their ears and needs to be treated by a whole team of psychiatrist.
Al Franken is a sexist pig. He made jokes about a woman getting raped. There is nothing funny about that. Imagine if Norm Coleman made a similar tasteless crack, he would have been crucified 10 times over. Al Franken should take a hike. He is utterly repulsive and deserves to lose.
Go Coleman, even if we could afford a solid dem. congress. I am sorry for Minnesota.
OMG…Someone can’t read or see…OMG…The freaks are stealing the election. OMG
Who knows what the voter was thinking!? Obviously not alot of voters in MN think if Franken is actually this close anyway! I fear for the future of the USA when so many people who vote admit they know nothing about who is running our government or how it is run. Even worse, they simply laugh when told they don’t know. School choice!!!! Time to start educating our citizens once again.
Thats my vote — I no speak the english!! Has to count!! Don’t be racist!
Unfortunately, the majority of our country voted for these crooked democratic creeps.
We’re headed toward dems “socialism”…..it looks like any result can be changed as long as they can get money from Soros and creeps like that. I am praying along with all of the good people that I know that this disease of crooked democrats be driven from our government….we are all praying to save our country.
Please join us if you are an honest American….no matter what your party.
Franken! You have got to be kidding! This vote is obvious!
My first grade students wouldn’t have trouble with this one but they would question your integrity. It’s called a being a “cheater.”
Seems pretty clear to me, only that douchebag Franken and his ankle-biting bandit lawyers could view this as “questionable”.
If the voter wanted to change his/her vote, the why is there no sign of a mark in Franken’s oval?
Franken doesn’t have the brains to come up with this shameless plan of attack. It takes the inspiration of a smart inventor…like the guy who invented the internet…the same guy who created and bought up allot of stocks in the “green industry” and is now fear mongering to make you buy into it. Yes that Nobel Peace prize winning son of a tobacco farmer… ol’ what’s his ass. I say the state of Minnesota is responsible if Al Freaken steals this election. You will be the laughing stock of the nation. Get on the phone, or get out to that precinct and protest this degenerate scum!
You have got to be kidding….The person wanted to make sure his vote counted….COUNT IT. I cant believe my Home State is doing this. I am so embarassed to even tell anyone I am from Minnesota..Please guys are you really voting for someone like Franken it is bad enough you voted for Obama
It’s obvious that you people voted for Coleman because you’re bigotted against morons.
Listen, I have a college degree and two graduate degrees and I have trouble filling in those bubbles. Ergo, is Franken admitting that those who vote for him are ignorant? If he’s right, he’s just stated that only the ignorant voted for him. To the youth, it’s a lark to elect that jerk. Those who know better, with or without college degrees, Coleman is the obvious and logical choice. This isn’t about voting, it’s about stealing. Maybe Franken should be charged with theft. If that doesn’t work, try lunacy. He’s like a two-year-old child throwing a temper tantrum.
A hanging circle vote sure beats the hanging chat FL votes in 2000 which the libs were so crazy about claiming for internet inventor Al. Looks like a definate vote for Norm.
Typical Democrat. Franken is like a whinny school kid. Franken you lost. Go home.
Clearly an attempt to supress the vote!
Since Stewart Smally failed in the talk show biz he has to win.
Mickey Mouse says:
If they cant follow direction, then the vote shouldn’t be counted!!!!
This is awesome because it’s the opposite of the contention of both Gore in 2000 and Gregoire in 2004 that “Every vote counts”
Not that I’m insisting that Mickey Mouse is serious…
Is it possible this voter couldn’t control a pen well enough to make a neat circle? Parkinson’s, palsy, whatever? Come on folks, give some leeway here – they’re not necessarily crazy or stupid because they can’t make a solid circle here.
It’s a Coleman vote.
Looks like it was just too cold in MinnesOHtah to me
peter Courtenay Stephens says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
“The American people pretend to be Free, the rulers in Washington pretend to Agree”.
Death to Tyrants and Swindlers
————
LOL becareful thats the entire population on Capital Hill….They are liable to send the thought police after you…and me too since I agree
As a presiding judge, such types of ballot are scanned for any mark in any box. Unless two boxes are marked then the lone box counts. It doesn’t matter if it was perfectly filled in, if the markings goes outside the lines or what method is used by the voter for filling in the box.
I did have one brain injured voter who had to be assisted in actually filling out the ballot as his hands weren’t sufficiently stead and capable of filling in or marking the ballot. Yes it took two judges (one from each party) quite a bit of time away from other voters but we were able to let this man vote. This is in keeping with HAVA (Help America Vote Act). If you don’t like that people are disabled are accomodated in voting then take it to your Congressmen who enacted this legislation.
If any such opinion actually exists I say you were conveniently duplicitous and blindly pursuing election result outcomes. But there is that.
I worked on the election board in Kansas.This vote would be counted for Coleman.
Let’s not forget that this collection of nutjobs is the only state that actually thought Mondale was a good choice in ’84. Haven’t changed much, have they?
Clearly a vote for Coleman. No mark by Franken at all!!!
There are so many things about this that bother me that if I wrote them all out the Internet would explode; however, the fact that Al and his representatives are even entertaining the thought of questioning this vote is absurd. As for those of you calling “these people” (whatever that means) idiots for not staying between the lines do not assume that this person has full capacities. Perhaps it’s a diabled vet with an inability to hold a pen; maybe it doesn’t matter if they filled it all in or not, the fact is this person still voted for Coleman. They could have filled it in; checked a box; doesn’t matter it is VERY clear that this was a vote for Coleman.
I’m agreeing with this guy!
Craig says:
November 19th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Why not just call him and ask. Could not they check the ballot with a name?
Craig
However, if they can do it and prove it, so much for secret ballots and the whole election process in Minnesota anyway.
I think this ballot represents a “yes” vote on Proposal 2.
Hey bloggers … Myron here from Topeka KS
I just heard about this from Sean Hannity with a link to drudgereport.com
Interesting !!
Clearly a vote for Coleman. You can bet old Franken-stein would easily claim it for his own if the mark was in his circle. Such shenanigans are getting to be trademarks of the damocrats!!
Greg says:
“If “Completely fill in the bubble next to your selected candidate” is too friggin hard for an American to figure out then they don’t get a vote. Period.”
Because we let the dumb, ignorant, un-informed people vote we are where we stand. If we eliminated these type of people from voting McCain would be president-elect, and Franken would be loser…Oh wait…He already is!…In more ways than one.
Dear Drudge,
It is clear that the box was marked for Norm Coleman. If the voter wanted to vote for Al Franken, he/she would have also marked his box.
Thanks,
Nancy Rowell Lewit
Cornwall, NY
It is obvious who this person was voting for and for anyone to argue that point is just plain STUPID. Franken is a joke and like the rest of the democratic party does not care how they win as long as they win. If Franken is the best they have then what a pathetic disgrace. That is scraping the bottom of the barrel. For you who are trying to say that he was marking it out to vote for whoever? If it was the other way around and it was done to Franken you would be screaming your head off It obvious what the voter wanted. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS BECOME PATHETIC, WEAK, UNETHICAL AND JUST STUPID. THAT IS WHY AFTER THE ELECTION I CHANGED MY PARTY. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS AN EMBARASSMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HEY STUPID WE ARE NOT DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY WE ARE A REPUBLIC. GO BACK TO YOUR HISTORY. HAVE THE PEOPLE IN THIS NATION GOTTEN MORE STUPID
Some people just refuse to color in the lines.
There is no question of this voter’s intention. Much like there was no question of the intention of so many ignored votes in Florida in 2000.
I’m a die hard democrat, but c’mon!
If someone voted for Coleman, it should count.
I HATE Al Franken !
I lived in this land of 10,000 taxes. Ice on the brain. Only this state could make it close with Big Al…what a joke.
Liberalism is a mental disorder!
Anytime we try to determine the intent of a voter, without consutling the person, we are in dangerous territory. The person who completed the ballot placed a mark next to Coleman. As far as we know, they made no other marks next to the other candidates. Yet, they submitted the ballot as being complete. Given this, this HAS to be considered a vote for Coleman. There can be no other legitimate interpretation. The key factor is that the person did TURN THE BALLOT IN AS IT WAS. To not count this as a vote for Coleman is essentially taking this person’s vote away.
Al, when are you going to realize that this time you just weren’t good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people don’t like you? Its just stinkin’ thinkin’ to believe you won this election!!!
[...] The Franken Campaign is challenging this ballot. Check out the story HERE. [...]
franken should go back to SNL , at least there he can look like some moron and get a laugh out of it all on the same take! ya people really want this whiny canadian to speak for you……goood luck!!!!!
Franken will win, and they will count and recount as many times as it takes to get there.
Franken should run for president along with Dianne Feinstein
Franken/’Stein in ’12
It’s obvious….it’s Al Franken’s ballot!!
This is what happens when groups
drag out the illiterate to vote.
They did not vote for another person
on the ballot, they intended to vote
for Coleman, read the directions last.
Where is there even a hint of a mark on the other choices? So you have to fill in the oval exactly with none outside the line and no speck of white paper showing?
This is simply corrupt. Soon we will vote in the streets with blood over foolishness like this.
are you kidding me? looking at this ballot, is there really any question which of the 3 candidates this person was voting for?? Looks to me he/she was voting very emphatically for Coleman.
but, hey, go ahead and elect yourselves a sore excuse of a comic/talk show host for one of your 2 US Senate seats. one more clown in the senate won’t make a difference.
What’s the problem? Clearly, this is a vote for Franken!
Your kidding me right? Are they that desperate that they are losing their eyesight, as well as their sanity? That is for Norm Coleman plain and simple and very understandably marked.
As a high school graduate and the grandson of immigrants, it apears to me to be a conclusive vote for Coleman
I have some more votes for Al Franken in the trunk of my car.: ) They plan to steal this one and have plenty of money to do it. Gotta get the magic 60. Censor talk radio. Then none of us will know what they’re doing. The Dems have screwed the economy with the Community Reinvestment Act and people still think they will fix things.
Maybe the pen wasn’t working, and he scribbled to get it going again. The pens they give us here in MN to fill these in aren’t very good. I think they are made in Florida.
BTW, “Democratic-Farmer-Labor” is the name of the local political party, and has been for many years. It’s who they claim to represent. Most of the farmers vote Republican, though. On this map, the red counties are all farm country: http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/gis/pdf/elec2008/cong/maps/USsen_cty.pdf
The blue counties are urban, or iron mining labor union areas.
I almost married a guy from Minnesota, thank God I didn’t! I had no idea the people were so stupid there that they cannot see plainly marked ballots for a candidate, where there is NO mark at Franenstines. Talk about trying to steal another election!
The good news is; Al Franken is finally getting laughs. He never figured out how to when he was a comic.
I say we strip them buck naked and leave them in the wilderness.
Ah yes, the way of the democrat, whine and cry until you get your way.
vote me
Really are we all morons
Maybe Franken gave the wrong directions to his ACORN ballot stuffers, that is the only way he could be sure the vote was for him!
Wow, all this fuss over someone simply wanting an election board to verify a strangely filled out ballot? If its obvious its for coleman, it’ll go for coleman. No one needs to be making such a big deal out of this. sheesh. its just a simple legal procedure done during any recount. Thats the point, to get an independant commission to verify any vote that could at any time, in any way, possibly be confusing to anyone. Its how we make sure elections are fair, even in cases like this that are so obviously going to one side. We cant pick and choose, or we may sometime misinterperet one, and as a voting US citizen, I would be very mad if that one vote was mine. I wont say who im sided with, just that if its my candidate, i’d want any irregular votes going for them to be investigated as thuroughly as possible, no matter how minor the error may be, and the same goes for his opponent. This is the most important system in our government, and nothing should be left to chance or confusion if theres even the slightest, most infentesimally small chance the vote could be interpereted wrong, no matter who its for.
They voted for a wrestler to be Governor and now a clown for the Senate-
What gives with the Minn voter ?
Now I see the mistake.
It ballot has Al Franken on it.
If it has a mark on it (whatever the name) it is obviously for Coleman
CAN’T BELIEVE CRAZY MINNESOTA IS!
This must tbe the Al Franken’s ballot.
Red says:
November 20th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Dude, that vote got spit OUT when it went through the optical scanner……. If you don’t wish to take the time to re-do your vote, then your vote SHOULDN’T COUNT. Holy cow. Not difficult. No one being disenfranchised here –they had the chance, they chose not to follow up on it.
So Red, where are you getting your info?
It seems like it WAS counted. Otherwise it would have been Coleman challenging this rather than Franken…..
I thought the Dems were supportive of citizens with disablilities — including the bubbling disability. Is this a class action suit in the making?
It’s pretty obvious who the vote was for…but who in their right mind thinks that’s how the ballot should be filled out? That ballot isn’t complicated, and that person did just about everything in their power to screw it up.
Careless and sloppy marking on the ballot? The voter is therefore obviously a Republican, and sadly… his vote is indeed for Coleman.
It’s clear to me, he intended to vote for Coleman and then on top wrote “Franken is an idiot”
Maybe the voter had Tourette’s
Clowns and wrestlers whats the problem
clearly the vote is for the independent.
Obviously it’s a vote for Coleman but the bigger question is ” what in the eff is wrong with you morons in Minnesota?” How could anyone with any common sense vote for garbage like Franken??????
It’s “OK” to count that one ’cause weuns all votted democrat anyhoo.
Minnesota: Do you realize what a joke you are to the rest of the nation?
Peter, Editor Peter’s Blog of Comedy
To even consider this is not a vote is completely beyond me. Plus any person who believes that Franken should come close to being apart of the United States Senate should not be able to vote. Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Al Franken – you’re an idiot!
I printed this vote and took it to my legally blind democrat uncle, and put it against the light and and asked him who the vote should go to? he said without a doubt that vote should go to the person name that sits in the middle oval.I say franken should go back to SNL where he can act like a moron and try to get a laugh all on the same take !good luck minnesota!
Al Franken…what an idiot.
Well, whoever did not try to vote for Franken, so it would appear not to have been a mistake. I would think if he was trying to vote for Franken he would have tried to make a mark there also. I guess the smart thing would have been to ask for a new ballot if he wanted to vote for Franken, but then that would prove they werent very smart. Franken is an ass, who wasnt very funny on SNL, just obnoxious. Maybe he thought he was supposed to X it in then thought twice and tried to color it all in, and was just in a hurry and left it as such. I agree with GUNZ, the mistake is that Al Frankens name is even on the ballot. Its amazing he made it as far as he did.
Its plain to see the vote is for Coleman, it,s the only one marked.
I can see the confusion on this vote…lol. I love the Dem below that states if they can’t fill in the ballot correctly then the vote shouldn’t count…really? Was that what you were crying in 2000? What ever happened to voter intent and hanging chads? My 6 year old could easily interpret the voters intent here…give me a break and stop trying to steal this election Frankin!
LOOKS LIKE A COLEMAN VOTE, BUT HOW DOES THE REST OF THE BALLOT LOOK?
ONE MORE THING… WHY IS IT THAT REBULICANS JUST LIKE TO TALK CRAP? THEY CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS BUT ARE THE MOST HATEFUL PEOPLE I KNOW. ALL YOU CAN DO IS CALL PEOPLE NAMES OR TRY TO SCARE PEOPLE. IT’S CALLED ELEMENTARY GAMES AND FEAR-MONGERING. PLEASE PEOPLE GO GET AN EDUCATION AND TRY TO BE A LITTLE COMPASSIONATE TOWARDS YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. ALSO RE-COUNTS ARE FOR A GOOD REASON, MAYBE FLORIDA SHOULD HAVE ACTUALLY DONE A RE-COUNT IN 2000 INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE STATE SUPREME COURT VOTE FOR BUSH, AND THEN MAYBE WE WOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION AS A COUNTRY. THE PEOPLE OF GERMANY FOLLOWED HITLER ALL THE WAY TO HELL AND ALL YOU HATEFUL REPUBLICANS WILL FOLLOW BUSH TO HELL. BETTER GO PRAY TO YOUR GOD AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS!
That is a vote for Norm Coleman for senator. The ballot has to be marked by filling in the bubble, but it does not say how it has to be marked. It is not up to Al Franken to play psychic detective here. Coleman got the vote on that ballot, Franken did not.
The ballot is marked for one candidate, Coleman, and that is a vote for Coleman.
Why is it that it that all votes being challenged, seem to be by democraps which are votes for Republicans. Can’t these democrap people win an election in a fair and honest manner. Only a complete idiot would say the ballot shown was not for Senator Coleman.
Vote early and vote often is the democrap mantra as has been practiced in Chicago and a few other places. Then if you have lost, demand a recount for as many times as is needed in heavily democrap areas until you can find enough newly discovered votes to change the election. Just like the Algore campaign did in Florida and happened in the Washington State Govornors race in 2004. Vote early and vote often! I might add, find enough lost ballots to win if needed.
What happens if the voting public decides that the election processes in this country are becoming, or are now already fradulent? Revolution? Maybe… Maybe we just roll over and let the fradulent polliticians take over.
May God help us!!!
Good lord! Call in the UN to monitor our out-of-control, pseudo-illegal election process.
Clearly this voter’s intention was to vote for Franken. He just forgot to fill in the oval after he crossed out Coleman. Give the vote for Franken (plus add a few for good measure).
As a pole judge I can tell you that the scanner should have accepted this as a vote for Coleman. The marking clearly covers enough of the oval to give a positive vote.
Once the scanner accepts the vote no one can say that the voter didn’t vote for Coleman.
I voted for neither Coleman not Franken. That said, the Franken camp does Not appear to be seeking a Yes vote but a Null vote which would negate the vote for either which potentially could have helped my candidate.
A carnival of errors:
The Voter did not follow the rules and did not complete the oval.
The state did not supply a felt tipped permanent marker. Someone above reported pencils with erasers – seems like that may allow for fraud.
The person should have requested a new ballot. Food for thought: What if thousands did this and we ran out of ballots. Then what? The system is pathetic but then again it is a large, complex system.
Bushy’s should understand the system has flaws since he didn’t win the popular vote in 2000 and have a little more empathy.
It is amazing to that many people see the world in absolutes and not possibilities. I guess it makes it easier to make decisions by eliminating that nasty little thing that all humans were born with which separates them from the other animals, called critical thinking used to think and make decisions about complicated issue.
It’s OK to view things differently without such vitriol.
Aren’t we all Americans?
Al Franken was one of the leading complainers about the 2000 election and the courts decision in Bush v Gore…How funny that he is in it up to his bollocks with his own recount…To me if he loses will be a bigger victory for Republicans than Obama’s was for democrats…If would be like Limbaugh running and losing…As yourselves dems..which would be sweeeter..an Obama victory or a Limbaugh defeat.
Looks like a vote for Franken to me…. NOT.
We need some context… let’s see the rest of the ballot.
Another non issue linked from Drudge. If he challenges it that doesn’t mean its not getting counted. He is just challenging it. Same dumb inuendos when discussing voter registeration fraud it doesn’t mean Mickey Mouse is going to go into the booth to vote. Thankfully this tactic no longer works and the foxnews of the internet himself is no longer taken seriously.
So, Mickey Mouse:
you sayin’ I have to be able to read in order to vote??
Hmmm . . .
OMG I just remembered. I meant to vote but I forgot! Could I please vote now? Pretty please? I really wanted to – you all know that.
I suspect the rules merely call for “marking” the ballot beside the candidate selected.
There are no other marks beside any other candidate.
Are they now judging ballot marking according to “artistic quality?”
This is as ridiculous as the words “farmer” and “labor” beside the Democrat designation for Franken….shouldn’t it be “failed talk show host” and “former comic”?
There ought to be a pre-booth booth. If you correctly fill in a hundred ovals you can advance to the valid booth.
Otherwise the booth opens to the outside of the building.
In what alternate universe is there even a question? One doesn’t need to know any more than this story to understand that Franken is a man of no character whatsoever. He knows, as does any honest person with the intelligence of a flea, that this voter clearly meant to vote for Coleman.
In a word: shameful.
Most of you are wrong in your amateur guessing. A scientific analysis of the strokes gives a very different but also a very clear picture:
The voter is a middle-aged, unmarried Caucasian male of Scandinavian origin, most likely a city or county employee.
The initial scribbles mean that he doesn’t like Norm Coleman but the flattened bottoms of the curves indicate that he started thinking about women at his workplace while filling out the ballot. His suppressed aggression is manifested in the forceful vertical penetration of the elliptical structures.
Besides these very certain results (greater than 97% probability), we could make further deductions with a minimum of 50% certainty but let’s at least agree that the voter would have voted for Al Franken if he didn’t get distracted.
The ballot should go to Franken.
Clearly this vote should not count. The fool colored outside of the lines! He/she should go sit in the corner too!
The Spiteful Troll Franken, along with his moneyman Soros, is determined to steal this election right in front of our noses. Only the beginning of 4 years of crap from the dems — anything is ok if it gets them more power. Disgusting – but get used to it.
We want franklin to win, that way he can show us how to cheat on our taxes also.
Sheebeegeeshus… and here I was thinking that liberal hypocrisy had reached it’s zenith years ago.
Although I must admit I still get warm fuzzy feelings when I see them using all capital letters in their posts.
i know the rest of the country thinks that the people of louisiana, my lifelong home, are idiots, but we don’t have these problems. ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES!!!!!!!!!! no hanging or pregnant chads, no bubbles to fill in. jsut a system that automatically calculates the number of times that the button next to a certain name is pushed. our only fraud issue is with, guess who, ACORN!
I never knew Al was a farmer. He doesn’t look like a farmer. In fact, he has an amazing resemblance to “The Creature From the Black Lagoon”. Check it out.
At the moment, with 31% of precincts recounted so far, there are almost 400 VOTES CHALLENGED by one or the other camp. This 1 ballot from 1 precinct… it’s all about perspective. Keep on spinnin’ Drudge.
People should take into account people who have aged. Some people have extaordinarily bad eyesight, others tremble, some have a slight cognitive impairment. That’s all I see going on here. An older person struggling a little bit to get their vote recorded.
For Al Franken to challenge this vote indicates his callous disregard for seniors or anyone who is not as perfect as he believes himself to be. This is clearly a Coleman vote. To consider it anything else is ethically criminal.
Al Franken has a small mind and a weak spirit.
as an old voter, i find that putting in an x and or filling in a selection are both are acceptable in most ocassions. The person here was obviously intent in voting for Coleman , but tried to correct his/her mistake by trying to fill in the box after realizing the voting requirement.It doesn’t require an IQ over 100(the norm) to come to this conclusion. Hey DUH DUH!
phh – I was thinking the exact same thing. I have seen many times where someone started filling in the wrong bubble on a scan-tron test, and then X-ed through and/or scribbled over the bubble to signal to the recorder that they had made a mistake. I think most people who have taken a number of scan-tron test will be able to attest to doing so. Of course, what this person should have done is ask for a new ballot (maybe they did and this worked its way back into the batch?), but since it doesn’t look like they actually marked anyone else, it’s pretty impossible to tell what was meant. If Franken is asking that this vote be removed from the count, I think that it is well within reason.
In the world of Democrats this vote is CLEARLY for Franken !!!! Don’t you people realize that?
I don’t care what the voter intended. I care what the voter DID. He, or she, filled in the bubble next to Coleman’s name. So it’s a vote for Coleman. Simple.
Why do the words Democratic-Farmer-Labor appear under Al’s name?
Hey, give this voter a break. This person has obviously voted several times already for Obama in other precincts. The guys hands must be tired and they just made a mistake on who to vote for. Cheaters are allowed to make mistakes too. This was clearly a vote for Franken.
In case you haven’t picked this up by now (and if you haven’t then it’s obvious that you voted Democrat) all of this is sarcasm. So I don’t want to see people quoting this as if it was a serious argument.
Al,
This is Al from the 80′s… I already had my decade… back in the 80′s.
Remember my funny bit “The decade belongs to me, Al Franken.” and then the one where I passed it on to my son Joe in the 90′s? I was a comic genius!
Deep down inside I always thought I was a little bit “special.” That arrogance might have been my undoing.
I was good enough, smart enough and goddarn it not enough people like me!
Anyone who has taken a scan-tron test knows that many people try to indicate a mistaken choice by drawing an X through the mistake. They shouldn’t do this, and in this case the ballot should have been thrown away. Since nothing else was filled in, maybe it was thrown away but made its way back into the pile? I would say that it is fair to throw it out altogether because of ambiguous cues.
By the way, if I hear one more person say Obama is a Socialist I’m going to hurl! I guess his supporter Warren Buffet is a Socialist, too. That guy really hates capitalism. Riiiiiiiight.
OBVIOUS vote for Coleman! Franken is just a child in a mans body. He’s probably that kid that would throw the monopoly board on the floor when he was losing. What a flaming jack-ass! The dude is clearly unbalanced!
Fine, Obama is not a Socialist. He’s Robin Hood.
I don’t care if every other vote was perfectly filled in for a democrat, nobody could turn this in and think, “hey, I crossed out Coleman so it obviously won’t count.” Not a chance.
Isn’t Frankenstein the one who yelled about “counting every vote”? Apparently, he only meant ones to benefit himself.
It appears that there was an X place in the circle and then possibly crossed out. Again what does the rest of the ballot look like. The vote should either count for Coleman or no one in that section since there is no mark of any sort by any other name.
Why do you have a problem with a comedian being elected? I’m sure for 8 years you had no problem with the POTUS election of a B-movie actor, canonized, beloved and revered by conservatives!
How bad could things get in D.C. with a comedian, eh? We have an economy in the toilet, a POTUS Bubblehead with a 17% approval rating, over 4,000 military dead and over 40,000 wounded Americans. Things can only get better!
and Coleman’s camp is challenging these ballots:
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2008/11/arrow.jpg
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2008/11/confusion.jpg
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2008/11/dot.jpg
so who are we trying to kid here? Let’s keep the news non-partisan, please.
clearly a vote for Coleman. If the voter had changed his/her mind sometime during the marking of the ballot, he/she could have asked for a new ballot. Almost as mind numbing as Demoncrats wanting to only recount ballots in strongly Demoncrat counties in Florida in 2000.
I are a leftist fool hoo are two stupit too vote sew will sum-wun please kill me? Eye shoodn’t be allowed to breeed, let aloan vote. Will sum-wun pleez killed me beef-or i cans vote a-gen??? Pleeze???
Perhaps the voter has Parkinson’s disease or is otherwise physically challenged. This person’s intent is plain. People need to curve their imaginations and develop some emotional intelligence.
It was a write in vote for Micheal Moore, by a Accorn worker. How else wouls=d anyone see it???????
Is it that this voter wasn’t wearing his/her glasses and actually intended on voting for Franken? Franken is without a doubt a real jerk!
This is obviously a voter who was torn between Al Franken and Dean Barkley, who DEFINITELY didn’t want Norm Coleman.
Ironically, this is Franken at his funniest. He really is a comedian. Good grief!
The voter clearly wanted to vote for Coleman, but was unable to stay in the lines. Should someone like this have the privilege of voting?
This is an example of what a carbon footprint looks like.
To all that voted for Al Franken – F*CK OFF AND DIE!
Al franken is an idiot….thank God he wasn’t running here in California….he would have won….just look at the idiots we have “running?’ California.
looks like the person x the bubble and then put his initials over it. pretty cut and dried vote for colemen
I don’t see why Al picked Farmer as his title. That’s insulting. It’s clearly a vote for Norm, even though I prefer Al. And Pee Wee Herman? Isn’t he still in jail for child offenses?
Just under half of Minnesota is retarded. WHO in the h e l l is so stupid as to vote for Al? AND Obama for that matter
I think this person meant to vote for Brad Childress as coach of the year.
If the voter had been changing their mind, they would have put the X and then marked another oval.
So, the vote is obviously for Coleman.
How was the ballot originally counted? By a person trying to devine “intent”, or did it run through a machine which counted the vote because enough of the oval was filled in?
“perfectly filled in oval” for a machine is now a standard of voting???
Ghesshhhh….
Hey, maybe the Secy of State can call in his buddies from Acorn to help count – that way you scumbag Dems can get your guy in. Mark Ritchie wouldn’t know “integrity” if it bit him in the ass – and the people of Minn are counting on him to do the right thing?
Minnesota must be so proud to have such a remarkably unqualified doofus, the failed host of Air Head America, pornography author, and entirely forgettable comedian, as senator. Wow, he told jokes that other people wrote for him. How special.
The rest of the country is laughing at you for not putting up a serious candidate, and then for half of you idiots voting for him. Go join Canada…we’ll take Quebec.
A psychiatrist said last week (in WND and Drudgereport) that liberalism is a mental disorder. As a disorder, liberals can’t be reasoned with. You cannot convince them of simple rational/logical things if their minds are set against it. That’s why they can be so dangerous politically. IMHO, because of this mental illness, they should NEVER be allowed to vote because they lack reason.
The Coleman ballot in this article is just another example.
You guys are forgetting the whole point of this recount. If we follow voter intent, Coleman wins. Looks like a clear vote for Franken to me!
I am actually hoping that franken wins by fraud. once the koolaid drinkers see the democrats in power of the house , senate, oval office, we will have another 26 year reign. we all know the extreme left will not be able to control themselves with power. remember carter. well the obama years have started. look at the market since election day. gas lines, bread lines and soup lines. that is what the democrats have in store for us.
Al Franken should get a life. Do the people of Minnesota realy want an SNL comedian to represent them.
Dear Al:
Give it up and stop wasting taxpayer money on recounts and nonsense such as this.
It is obvious to me at least, that this voter intended to vote for Norm Coleman and I think that way because there are no indications that he had selected YOU. We can only assume that the mark ….cross or whatever it is was not made next to your name.
What will be interesting is what strategy lies behind this challenge. This isn’t about one vote, because it won’t change the outcome. This is about systematically opening the door to challenging any vote for “Coleman” that isn’t 100% filled in.
This is classic Dem strategy; cheat, lie, and steal. Just check out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac…
One embarrassing day I saw a piece of paper at work with horrible chicken scratch handwriting and scribbling. I loudly piped up “this is the WORST handwriting I’ve ever seen in my life, and my handwriting is pretty bad…who wrote this?!”
Then a very accomplished published elderly fellow with a congenital hand deformity began to laugh his old ass off and slapped me on the shoulder. I’m so glad he had a good sense of humor…
Let’s see what your handwriting looks like with no thumbs and 3 mis-shapen fingers per hand.
THAT IS MY BALLOT AND I VOTED FOR COLEMAN.
What’s all the fuss about? It’s clearly a vote for Franken; same as all of ‘em!
Hey! Thats my ballot!.. No joke. Its my first time voting in Minnesota and I hever used a bollot like that before, Is there a number I can call and tell someone that i meant to vote for coleman. I can verify that its mine by telling them how I voted on the rest of the ballot?
What a goofy ballot.
“Independence” instead of Independent
“Democratic-Farmer-Labor” instead of Democrat.
Who wrote this and who approved it? If I was Coleman I would challenge every one of Frankens votes due to this “leading” verbage. We all know Liberals are easily led and these descriptions are leading.
Not only is this clearly a vote for funnyman Al Franken, it should count as 10 votes for Franken! Just…you know,… because that’s the only way he can win.
I am from Massachusetts where our leaders are an embarrassment, but if you Minnesotans elect Franken, you will replace us on the mantel.
Franken is trying to steal votes and disenfranchise voters. Anyone can planly see this person voted for colman. Now if one of the other ovals was also marked – but filled solid (no X) that would be a different story.
The Vote is obviously for coleman or another circle would have been filled in. Al Franken is an idiot, and he is trying to steal the election like dems try to do when they can get away with it.GEEZE LOUISE!
For all the Drudge readers that were linked here who don’t understand and who keep calling Frankin names for this one let me remind you that it wasn’t Frankin himself that objected but one of his officials. Just thought I’d inform you folks who came over from the FoxNews of the internet. Same folks who believe that we found WMD in Iraq.
Te voter was probibly like me. I can not wite as good with a small diameter pencil .I voted and and i can tell you a lot of the fill inslooked worse than the one shown here.it is a vote for Coleman Bet a Big Mac On it.
What’s more disgusting — that someone in the Franken camp would have the chutzpah to challenge that ballot, or Franken’s apologists commenting here, trying with a straight face to sound intelligent and at the same time justify the ridiculousness of said challenge. I hope you get what you deserve, Minnesota.
Franken is an idiot. Like Obama, he was never a good comedian anyway. Obama was never a top notch senator in Illinois. Both backbench con artists. Shame on Minnesota. Only a state full of morons would even allow Franken to run for the US Senate, never mind voting for him.
Technically he’s probably right…
(From Minnesota’s voting website)
“Minnesota voters most commonly use a pen to mark their ballot. Depending on the type of ballot, the voter may fill in an oval, connect an arrow, or mark an ‘X’.”
It appears that the voter failed to follow directions since this appears to be the type of ballot where you fill in an oval. This is probably an invalid mark.
Lesson of the day: Follow directions!
This mark is clearly by the republican name and not near any other
this is a vote for coleman, unless you the viewere want the other candidate, then you can convince yourself of anything
STOP TRYING TO DETERMINE THE VOTERS INTENT AND LOOK FOR WHICH NAME HAS A MARK CLOSEST TO IT
AL FRANKEN IS A MORON ANYWAY, HE SMOKED TOO MUCH DOPE AND FREEBASE IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS
“What’s more disgusting — that someone in the Franken camp would have the chutzpah to challenge that ballot, or Franken’s apologists commenting here, trying with a straight face to sound intelligent and at the same time justify the ridiculousness of said challenge.”
It’s a tie! Challengers should have to pay big bucks for absurd challenges like this.
No, no, no, Phh is on to something. This voter clearly prefers Dean Barkley. Just look at the aggression exhibited in those hard slashing strokes which become softer, almost affectionate, loops as the pen travels towards the Independence Party candidate’s name. And that straight left to right diagonal scribble seems to be an arrow pointing right at the “D” in Dean Barkley’s name as if to scream “Dean’s my man!”. And then there’s the passion exhibited in those scribbles — who here really believes that any voter would mark their preference for a Republican with so much enthusiasm. No, this voter’s intent is clear to me.
I don’t like the idea of trying to figure out voting intent. If you’re too stupid, or lazy, to correctly fill in a bubble, you really have no business making decisions that impact others.
Is that elitist of me? Sure.
I was taught in KINDERGARTEN how to correctly shade an oval bubble. I was also told if I didn’t do it right the answer didn’t count. Why start changing the rules now? Do it right, or it doesn’t count. So simple.
That being said, the person was clearly (imho)trying to vote for Coleman. And if he wasn’t, he should have followed the directions.
why not scan in all the votes and let the people decide. What a bunch of whooie.
Only adults could make this an issue. There was doubt in the minds of my 5 and 7 year olds when I asked for their opinion.
Only adults could make this an issue. There was no doubt in the minds of my 5 and 7 year olds when I asked for their opinion.
It looks like a clear vote to me for Coleman. But what we are missing is context. I am assuming this guy’s ballot had options to vote for other races (e.g., the Presidential race)? If every item he voted on is filled out the exact same way as this one, then it seems clear that his vote was intended for Coleman. Unless you want to argue he changed his mind on EVERY ITEM.
If this one looks different than his other votes, then MAYBE Franken could have an argument. I still do not see it, but, the argument could be made. But without that context, he has nothing.
They are both equally disgusting. There should be a fine for challenging a good vote!
This is hilarious! Of course the vote should count. They clearly marked an “x” and then realized they need to fill in the bubble. Maybe they had flash backs to college and those blasted scan trons. This is clearer than a PREGNANT CHAD.
When you error on a document you sign your initials. The person put an x and realized it should have been a solid mark inside the circle and that’s why there are initials inside the circle.
If you really look close at the ballot, you can see that the person wanted to make a firm statment on who he wanted to win, and it would leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that he wanted to vote for Coleman. The voter is 100,000,000% in favor of Coleman. The Voter checked the oval. The voter marked an X in the oval, and cicled the oval, several times!
[...] StarTribune SOURCE « Gutless [...]
It’s funny. People here mention Al Gore. I really liked Al Gore when he was simply a politician running for the presidency and I really like Al Franken when he was a comedian. Now I can’t stand either one of ‘em.
This is great. We have more comedy-type people showing up here than I have seen in a long time. The comments are great, especially the ones who use the you-are-an-idiot Franken-type humor against him. Also remember that Florida in 2000 did not use this type of ballot, so the comparison don’t fly. “Remember the Hanging Chad?”
Coleman’s bubble is blacked out, not a mark on the other bubbles, and you absolute morons think it’s a Franken vote????? Jezzees God, communists are picky.
its so completely obvious that he was voting for coleman. if he hadn’t wanted to vote for coleman, why would he put anything in the bubble? do people really think its plausible that the dude was like “coleman? no i dont think so, you get an x sir… well, actually, lets just squiggle your bubble out too, that way they’ll know that i didn’t want to vote for you. now, who to vote for… oh, i’ll vote for franken. ill leave his blank so the counters will know i voted for him”
dumb dumb dumb
If Minnesota would come out of the dark ages and actually use computerized voting machines like the rest of the world Minus Wisconsin, this wouldn’t be an issue. Of course those socialist states in the mid west use and will continue to use antiquated technology in their elections for just such a reason…Illinois is the historical home of voter fraud and I see it has migrated like a virus to other parts of that region. I hope the hell you send Franken to be your senator. You get what you deserve…High taxes, socialized Medicine, no national security. But look at the bright side.When Nobama and his cronies pass socialized medicine, you can always go to Canada for treatment!
I didn’t know old Al was a “farmer” and he’s darn sure never actually committed any manual “labor.” No wonder he’s losing. His billing on the ballot is so hilariously misrepresentational! Perhaps Democratic-Farmer-Labor should have read Democomic-Farter-Lagger.
Is anyone surprised? This is the same man who chaeted on his taxes, stole money from children (the Boys & Girls Clubs), helped to write a SNL skit about Sarah Palin intimating that Todd Palin committed incest with his teenaged daughter…& all for a few laughs? Does this man have any class or struples? To say that this vote was not for Coleman means you are either stupid or biased as there is a lot of black marks next to & in the box for Coleman & absolutely NO MARKS AT ALL (i.e. blank white spaces) next to Franken or Barkley’s names. In fact, it looks to me like the voter was trying to make extra clear by both marking an “X” & then filling in the circle that they wanted their vote to count for Coleman. What is more scary & very transparent is how these “mysterious” votes showed up the next day & almost all of them for Franken? Hmmm…does anyone know how to spell FRAUD or ELECTION STEALER? Mr. Franken, have the class to admit you’ve lost & do us all a favor & GO AWAY!
I am a drudger and a fox news viewer and Im damn proud of it! It’s nice to watch news that is reported on equally and fairly and not completly one sided like every other news station around. As for Franken, simply said this is a failed actor, failed comedian, failed radio talk show host who will soon be a failed politician, does it really surprise anyone? What accomplishments has this guy made in his life other than standing in front of a mirror saying “darn it, people like me”. What a joke this guy is.
I am the voting machine and I counted it.
Sorry, I’ll try harder next time.
A bunch of stupid idiots are gaggling over this ballot? We just voted for a presidnet thta was doing crack, in larry’s limo, and doing larry at the same time! We worry about this? Give that foul-mouthed franken the seat – you people deserve to be anally penetrated for life! the democrat party should be allowed to steal the election and the people should suffer the consequences! franken is just a:
Conniving
Underhanded
Nasty
Turd
You figure it out!
Hey Disco..
Franken does want the idiot vote.. If they throw out the votes of idiots.. He’d only have 1 vote .. his own.. wait.. He’s an idiot as well
If you turn the ballot sideways and squint, then drink 7 double bourbons, it might look like a count for Franken. How embarrassing for Minnesota. Wonder how much this is costing you.
Look at the rest of the ballot.
Were the other ovals marked in the same manner?
If so we know the INTENT of the voter.
It’s common sense people.
Actually, it’s pretty clear to me, the voter wanted to vote for an asshole, so it is clearly a vote for Al Franken.
Did someone just say that this ballot should not be counted because the voter did not follow the instructions? If you want to play by that game -sure cause then those 32 votes (that happened to all be for Franken) that magically appeared in a car truck clearly weren’t turned in on time and then those won’t count, either.
Hoenstly, Franken is the worst kind of polititian. To even THINK that this vote shouldn’t be counted is ridiculous. I can’t believe so many Minesoootans could be so stupid as to vote for Franken that a recount is even required. Wake up people… wasn’t Ventura enough for you? Now you want Franken?
The liberal stupidity in here is strong.
Whatever helps you clowns sleep at night, I guess.
Awwwwwh….come on now. Al Franken is just as qualified and deserving to be elected as Osamabama is….ahem….
Obviously the default logic seems to be that somebody who might be cornfused or disoriented or somehow disabled or mentally/physically challenged must have intended to vote for Franken and not Coleman…. Well the mental disability part is a requirement for a vote for Franken. What other explanation could there be?
…nuff said.
Our political process is a disgrace.
I didn’t have a chance to read everyones response, but I’d like to know what the rest of the ballot looked like? Were there other marks like this one, or is this the only one? I think if I were to mess up while voting, I’d atleast try to mark the intended box!!!
Franken is a disgrace to humanity, his mother should have aborted him and saved everyone from his disgusting existance
The only things that I have to say is, stop bringing up the 2000 election with George Bush. USA Today did a thorough examination of the disputed ballots in Florida in 2000 and President Bush got more votes each time they counted again and again and again. Franken is just trying to steal the election like Gore tried to do in 2000, albeit a Senate race now. Let’s stop this nonsense and just have fair elections. I don’t think we are capable of that anymore. It is getting that bad. Some politicians just can’t take losing. They have to try and steal it. Follow the money trail, it always leads back to the root of the situation.
There is only one answer to this mystery.
That ballot belongs to Al Franken.
Ray,
Asking for common sense from a bunch of stinking liberal socialists is like asking a tiger to become a vegetarian. These are the same people who think you can tax your way to financial independence. Liberalism is a mental disease. NOTHING about it makes any sense to those who have a lick of sanity, yet they have millions of brainwashed followers…Yes, eventually I believe that blood will run in the streets. Intelligent people will get fed up with the insanity and start the slaughter…I want to be the one in front with the big knife!
The fact the Franken is involved in a recount says a lot about the state of Minnesota. Land of a million kookz….
I am calling the Secretary of State right now because I have the definitive answer. It is definitely a vote for the washed up comedian. I know because I dreamt it last night.
Dear Mr. phh
If this was a mistake then why didn’t the individual make another pick after scribbling it out, or simply ask for another ballot. Please allow me, it’s because the individual wanted Coleman, plain and simple. This is just a febble attempt on Frankens part to try and steal the election. As we have seen all over the country. This election should go down as the most questionable one in history. With Acorn’s underhanded dirty deals, with states having more registered democrats then population, with military ballots not being counted because they were a day late, and the military votes should count if they come in on January 19th, with ballots turning up in trunks of cars in Minn weeks late, and they are being counted, 750 lost ballots turning up, and they were all for the democrat, yeah right. I personally do not believe this election was lagit.
IMAO, Obama is the president that was selected not elected. Not Bush.
I intend to champion vote reform, so this type of injustice never happens again.
It could be the mark of someone elderly, for in that case it would be quite disgusting to question their intent. However, I agree that the other marks on the ballot should be referenced. There’s definitely a reason they don’t show us the rest ~ kind of like in a criminal trial where the jury doesn’t get to know all the rotten stuff the defendent has done in the past.
This vote is as clear as day!!!!! If the voter made a mistake, he/she could have asked for a new ballot. It’s that simple.
This is a diversion from the travesty that has already occurred. Why does it seem that only democratic precinct’s that don’t seem to be able to count, or are they using the same math that Washington State used the past election – that “Enron Math”. The GOP had better start appearing interested with the conservative votes if they want to keep them. They don’t do well at fighting with lawsuits like the DEMS.
Funny… all these people on here want this ballot thrown out. But when it was in Florida in 2000, and when people clearly punched the Pat Buchanan oval, then it should have counted as an intent to vote for Gore…
Idiots! Should it only count if it is Pro-Democrat? If it is even remotely not close to 100% perfect for a non-democrat, it should be tossed.
Clearly this is a vote for Norm Coleman, and should be counted as such.
Hey Jerry:
“Relying on the idiot vote since 1776″ huh? Just what election was going on that year?
In _____, George Washington was elected our nation’s first president.
As much as I hate to admit it, it is probably a vote intended for Al Franken.
My reasoning?
Having worked for years with the developmentally disabled, it certainly appears to me to be a vote by someone that is mentally challenged.
And wasn’t it the Democrats who physically drove disabled people to polling places and told them who to vote for?
I know we Republicans didn’t stoop that low so…
A group of twenty of us have decided that this gentleman voted for Norm Coleman. He put an “X” first. Then he attempted to fill in the area inside the oval. Franken you lose. Go home!
to me it looks like an attempt to make a signature but the guy had paulsey so it didnt look so hot. stop whining franken you lose noob.
As a trained election judge for Lake County Illinois with 4 years experience: 1) the oval is clearly marked “for” Coleman, 2) the voter could have claimed a spoiled ballot and requested a new ballot, 3) cast ballots are secret, we cannot ask the voter, 4) each election is evaluated separately, the marking of the other ovals is not considered.
Franken will win regardless of the count. Get used to it. More important is the Civilian Police Corps that Pres. O’b and Rahm=bo have planned. The State needs your 18-25 year olds. O+B+A+M+A ! He’s my pres too, but at least I can sleep at night (so far) because I didnt vote for him!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfV8iXiB9Xg If you DARE!
Franken is a wack job and I can’t believe anyone voted for him. Shows the lack of education being taught by left wing teachers.
It’s been decades since Al was this funny.
you friggen franken sycophants are pathetic – yea, obviously the voter change his mind and the vote should not count – ROTFFLMFAO
I guess this country does deserve the AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PRESIDENT
Al Franken is trying to steal the election he clearly bought and paid for.
How about rock/paper/scissors on this one?
Why doesn’t everyone just stand up and tell the truth.
Al Franken didn’t even make a decent comedian.
He is more of a joke off screen than he ever was on.
Anyone who voted to put this clown in a political office is clearly lacking the mental faculties necessary to function in an intelligent society. None of their votes should count.
I only see a mark next to Coleman. Whether its a circle, a X, or a Prince, it is only next to Coleman. Sorry Al, go back to your sad radio program.
CLEARLY NOT A MARK OF ANY KIND WAS MADE IN FRANKIN’S BUBBLE! DIDN’T VOTE FOR HIM. NOT A MARK IN BARKLEY’S BUBBLE! DIDN’T VOTE FOR HIM. THE VOTER DIDN’T REQUEST ANOTHER BALLOT! SO, OBVIOUSLY THE VOTE IS FOR COLEMAN!!! GET OVER IT CHAD LOVERS…
[...] MN: One challenge headed to the state so far in Plymouth http://blogs2.startribun…tate-so-far-in-plymouth/ [...]
Frankin is grasping at straws. Give it up HOLLYWOOD.
Frankin is grasping at straws. Give it up HOLLYWOOD. Give peace a chance.
I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the Untied States of America. And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Go to hell Al Franken.
Looks like a right hanging CHAD to me so the vote goes to Coleman
that would have counted even on a SAT test….
AL Frank is a creep, hell bent on steelin this election. Grab a weapon and head to the woods, it’s deer season. Wack and stack, brown it;s down boys.
So this wi where all the Floridians moved to!!!
AL Frank is a creep, hell bent on steelin this election. Grab a weapon and head to the woods, it’deer season.
Remember- one quarter of the voters who voted for al franken that ugly wretch liberal twerp voted FOUR TIMES…..
crack head says:
November 19th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I agree with phh. How could anyone think that this person wanted to vote for Coleman. Can I get a rock now.
_________________________
No, but you can crawl under one now.
Tuff one here. Maybe next next time there should be three bubble holes for “yes” “no” and “maybe”.
Seriously, is this ballot from a FL transplant?
If the people in Minnesota are foolish enough to elect the likes of Al Franken for anything much above the rank of village idiot or dog catcher, (I know, the latter is a stretch) then I honestly don’t want much to do with any of you. I will avoid your state like the plague and boycott businesses headquartered there. If you come to my state, don’t expect a cordial welcome. You are all liberal morons and no longer worthy to be part of the United States. May you all freeze in the coming new ice age. Arrrrrrgh!!!!!
Questionable? Not in my mind. But I urge you to Google the Wa State governor election from 2004. The dems were behind by a couple hundred votes. Not to worry they kept counting and re-counting until they won.
$5 says Franken takes this…
you libs are thieves and immoral. I cant beleive there is a party in this country that condones the things you idiots do. You find it ok to steal elections and lie and cheat and elect a communist as president. This country is full of uneducated american idol losers. Well have of it. Thanks to liberals for ruining freedom.
What goes around comes around. What the dummyrats wanted counted in Florida for Goron (If IF ONLY the voter intention could be discerned we will not disenfranchise him or her (or it)) is NOW being counted for Coleman and I say GREAT. Al “Stuart Smalley” Frankin and Randi Rhodes Finkelstein
on Air America — now THERE was a pair!!!!!
I just called my 6 yr old daughter to look at the ballot.
Then I asked her to pick who the vote/mark belongs too.
.8 seconds later she pointed to Colemans name.
Maybe my daughter should help with the recount.
I think Al needs some thicker glasses.
I guess that this is the one ballot that will decide the vote in favor of Al of course.
Pathetic!!
What a cry baby..
I guess if he is part of the Farmer party he is sure pouring on the bull sh*t or showing us what he has for brains.
Clearly the voter was indicating who he didn’t want to win. Typical that the Republicans would try and say this was an actual vote for their candidate!
Clearly, this voter intended to vote for Al Franken.
Franken is wrong, if the voter wanted Franken the ballot would be marked as such. Two politicians have blanks, one is Franken.
There is something wrong with Franken and the voter.
“Peter, Editor and Spell Wrecker
Peter’s Blog of Comedy
Http://thepeterfiles.blogspot.com”
What a shameful misuse of a comment page for spam. Perhaps your lack of morals has something to do with the size of that certain part of the male anatomy. You should try our new ViA$ra/Le<itra supplement, Erexicol. A fast acting male enhancement drug with no actual clinical success but lots of anecdotal evidence, it will give you the confidence to stop misusing comment pages.
If that doesn’t work, then visit Capital Nissan in Rochester for a deal of a lifetime on a new Nissan Pathfinder or Titan SUV/SUT. Capital Nissan is offering zero percent financing to qualified Tier One credit customers, cash back on closeout models, and free pony rides for the kids.
SHOOT ME NOW… PLEASE…!!!!
Since 2000, franken(stein) has worn out “Bush stole the election”. Now He’s the one doing the stealing – why else are all the MIRACULOUS “corrections (ballots found here, there, everywhere)” all going his way(no “found” ballots for Coleman?). It defies the Law of Probabilities.
The vote is obviously for Coleman, who else. Noone else has any mark in the circle.
I didn’t know Joni Earekson was voting in Minnesota. Maybe she didn’t have her favorite mouth pen.
Has anyone ever considered that the voter may be physically or mentally challenged? Some people may not be able to control a pencil well enough to stay in the little circle. It will happen to you all if you live long enough, or you catch parkinsons, or MS, or …. The intent is obvious. The only mark is beside Coleman
These Franken clowns are making joke of our political process. If we don’t demand it be taken seriously, we are done.
Very Stupid. Has America become this dumb not to see that the vote is for Coleman. Dems will try anything to win the undicided seats, but this is downright stupid.
It’s obvious he was voting against Coleman.
[...] on November 20, 2008 The bubble beside Norm Coleman’s name appeared to have both an X and a squiggle in it, but the Al Franken campaign wants the state [...]
[...] bubble beside Norm Coleman’s name appeared to have both an X and a squiggle in it, but the Al Franken campaign wants the state [...]
You can see that it is very evident that this is a vote for Franken…Geez…You guys make this soooo difficult…
Its obviously a vote for Coleman.
Rest assured that Franken will win. With Democrat voting
officials, judges and a Democrat governor,know that this
leftist filth will do whatever to takes to win.
This is a JOKE, right?
Good one UP dog
It’s NOT a mistake
since NOTHING else
is marked !
definitely couts for coleman
Okay, I’m not from MN, but I just don’t understand how ANYONE would vote for Franken — even a Democrat. I mean, this guy is so shrill, so angry, so partisan — how do expect him to get anything done for you?! He’s full of hate, venom, condescension. The guy HATES Republicans — not disagree — hate.
Now this. Can you see what a tool he is?!
Clearly a vote for GORE !
Franken is the biggest joke on the planet…
joined by the fools who voted for him
A psychic-cryptograher has been retained by
the Franken team to assist in interpeting the
ballot markings; and why some ballots as the
one profiled in this piece could be an indication
of mind control by the Coleman campaign.
This is clearly a vote for Al Frankin…..
This is clearly a vote for Al Franklin. A man with only love in his heart….
This also works for his test scores, if he ever scored badly on an SAT or GRE, this is why. His IQ is actually much higher but the pencil slipped a lot, just like this, where he scratched in one bubble but meant one of the other ones he never made a mark in.
Franken’s brains have to be on fire. What a sore looser, an L-7 to the max!
Al frankin is a Moron wrapprd in a Idiot.It is clear the the vote was for Joe Liberman !
Honor left politics a long time ago..Please pray for my country
So let me get this straight…if only intelligent people should be allowed to vote…then shouldn’t all of the ballots cast in favor of Franken be rendered Null and Void. With that line of reasoning Coleman wins in a landslide
The VOTE for Coleman
should / must stand.
His is the only
box marked / voted for!
This is real frickin’ easy. Obviously it is an optical scanner read ballot. Directions are offered to the voter. Either the scanner counted the vote for Coleman if enough of the circle was blackened or it did not “see” enough contrast in the circle to have the vote count. Period. Either it’s pregnant or not pregnant. Just my guess, but it looks like the rabbit died. Why employee machines if loons are going to second guess technology and second guess voter intent.
You idiots don’t know nothing. double negative.
don’t you know that is the sign of the anti-christ!! he is here!
X marks the spot or fill it in, the vote has to go for
Coleman….
I see a circle (which probably happened first), then an X, (probably second) and then the squiggle (probably happened last).
Looks like the person wanted Coleman.
If not, could have requested a new ballot. I’d be curious to see the rest of the ballot.
I can’t believe this is happening.
What is wrong with our country?
The only mark is next to Coleman’s name in his oval. It is a vote for Coleman.
Two things are happening here: 1. The Dems (Franken’s camp, are trying to make a persons vote not count. Shameful. 2. If the voter was changing their mind they should be smart enough to ask for a new ballot.
This whole thing is a joke. It is just like Florida. The Democrats lose and will be using any means necessary to count and recount until they are told to stop the insanity or they win. They truly are pathetic.
All Franken needs to GIVE IT UP!
What an idiot!
I’m sorry, but you have to be an effing moron to want to contest this vote. Yes, the person that filled it out needs to learn how to make better circles, but the franken group proves their complete idiocy by wanting to contest this. Then again, he’s a democrat. No need to contest stupiditythere, we all know they have been retarted since forever… STILL, SERIOUSLY, wtf? Contest this vote? Are you kidding me? Are you that pathetically stupid and corrupt? Geez…
It appears that the voter has blurred vision
(cataracts or age releated condition). The vote is obviously for Coleman. If invited, don’t go hunting with this person.
If this is how they mark their ballots in that State it’s no wonder they need a hand count.
They should contact that voter directly for clarification, not like it’s a secret ballot.
Typical of Democrat to challenge this, they are all lunatics. If the box was marked in the same manor for that radical socialist franken, it wouldn’t be a problem, they would say that the voter clearly marked franken. Hypocrites, all of those left wing lunatics. There are 3 names on the ballot, only one of them is marked. Only a liar full of deceit and low life lawyer styled trickery would say otherwise.
I think it will be very funny if Franken loses by one vote, and this is the ballot that decides it
this is a joke 100% vote for colman. this guy is crazy and needs to be put in a looney bin if he thinks this aint a vote for colman. come on and do this right a vote for colman
We don’t need another clown in the Senate.
I can’t believe it has finally come down to this – we are trying to decide if Al Franken is going to be a Congressman. We are all so screwed. So this is what the Apocalypse looks like.
That is SO clearly a vote for Franken, why are you questioning Eve
it.
Everyone knows that the oval is filled in with a code that means “I am voting for the guy belo this means ‘i am voting for the guy below this one’.
It is even in the original Klingon language!
There can be no doubt about it.
This is stupid! If there were two million of these, would they be Franken’s votes?
For those of you who called Franken a clown….you forgot the one key word…’ass’…he is definitely an ‘ass clown’
Moonbat… clearly a vote for Coleman. As another poster pointed out if the person didn’t want it to count for Coleman he/she would have asked for another ballot. Unbelievable the lies liberals tell themselves to justify their fantasies, particularly now that they are on record as making “every vote count.”
BTW, I wouldn’t put it past al Franken to try and get credit for “undervotes” … you know, divine the intent of the voter by claiming someone who marked the ballot for Obama but didn’t put a mark by Franken’s name did so as a matter of oversight. Buwahahahaha.
If I was a betting man, Democrats will find the necessary “votes”, from zombies if necessary, to give Franken the win, just like they did in 2004 in the Washington state governor’s race. That one really stunk it up.
The only recourse to correct a “mistake” vote is for the voter to request a new ballot. In Florida you can request up to two more if you make mistakes. You are NOT allowed to erase the oval and trying to cross out or scribble out your “mistake” vote does NOT count as undoing your mistake. If the oval is filled in, it’s a vote. Period. What’s so hard to understand about that, or the ability to request a new ballot? If you don’t understand that, then maybe you’re too dumb to vote intelkligently anyway. If you make a mistake, and you don’t rectify it ACCORDING TO THE EASY TO UNDERSTAND RULLES, then you are out of luck. In democratic elections, the privilege and right of YOUR vote is soley in YOUR hands, no-one else’s. It’s your sacred vote. Likewise, the responsibility of making mistakes is solely your repsonsibility, and if you fail to correct the mistake, it is solely your fault and the oval counts as a vote. It really is that simple in elections.
That much aside, the voter intended to vote for Coleman, so you libs should just get over it, quit trying to illegally change someone’s vote and stop trying to steal yet another election via “divining the intent of the voter” when all you’re doing is using your intent to overrule the voter. That’s not a democratic election. It’s fascism. Liberal fascism.
Franken should go back to what he is good at – writing political comedy skits on SNL.
Al Franken makes Minnesota look like a bunch of nut jobs!! Well
It’s always count’em until we count ‘em in our favor. The Democrats always lie and cheat on to victory. I don’t know how the fak=e ballots get slowly pieced into legitimacy, but if you count enough times. I guess poll workers just get tired and start agreeing or some such. Maybe we need to bemore stringent. Obama???? Did he actually win Ohio? We’ll never know and there will always be a question because of ACORN.
[...] StarTribune: Make your mark… [...]
…. a big fat idiot
Clown.
This is clearly a vote for Franken. The bottom of the squiggle points down towards the Franken option – it is clear as day.
At age 69, I like many others in the World suffer from sever shaky hands. I could possibly have filled in this circle in the same manner. Does that mean a medical condition would prevent me from having my vote counted? Where are those people from Every Vote Counts now? Mickey Mouse must certainly be a “Liberal”.
If Obama had a set…he would renounce this Franken lunacy
This is a joke right? My husband writes sloppy at times and this is a perfect example of someone who is sloppy. Move on people. This is clearly a vote for Coleman.
yo, Red, dude, the votes that weren’t spitout by scanner were counted…on election day. COLEMAN WON BY OVER 700 VOTES DUDE. by dude I mean idiot.
Mickey Mouse: maybe you’re right that, if they can’t follow directions, then the vote shouldn’t count. The same with dem voters; if they’re too stupid to know how to get a free id, don’t know where to vote, when to vote, or how to vote, then their votes shouldn’t be counted, either. Unfortunately that cuts out most of the dem voters, if you listen to your own politicians. They’ll tell the world that their constituents are too stupid to do any of those things on their own, too.
[...] Franken doesn’t want a vote to count [...]
If this was next to Franken’s name he’d want it counted. End of story.
F*** the Lawyers
This person probably had a seizure while voting and now
you want to take the vote away from the disabled. Shame
on you Al Franken. If you think by filling in the bubble
more you are changing your mind then you probably think
you will cause an abortion by having sex again.
Well this person definatly did NOT vote for Franken or Barkley.
He clearly voted for Coleman, although the vote is sloppy. So is that reason enough to deny this person a right to there vote?
Hey, Jazz,
It’s probably you that should have been erased.
This is clearly a vote for Al Franken.
EAT AT ABU’S SMOKED GOATHOUSE
The voters intent can probably be determined by looking at how they marked all the other races. Did the voter scratch all the others in similar fashion? If so, it’s clearly a vote for Coleman. If the voter made cleaner marks with no crossing patterns in the circle then it may be an effort to “x out” that vote. Without seeing the entire ballot its a bit harder to tell, but my guess is this is a vote for Coleman. Why? There was no effort to mark anyone else’s name. There now, may I be King?
I heard that Al Franken shortened his last name from Frankenstein.
dear, PHH i am with mr.jass ur just mad cuz franken is gonna lose
you morons are clearly too stupid to vote. you need people like franken and that muslim you elected last time, i hope the next terrorist attack blows up st. paul.
Lol, so intent will only be used to disqualify coleman votes, and add franken votes? Yeah I see how this person voted for coleman, and crossed it out, that must mean they actually wanted to vote for franken, but were scared of the republican hate machine rejecting the ballot if both candidates were marked, so the voter relies on the marvelous logic of folks like phh to make sure it gets counted right!
Maybe we can do away with the secret ballot for regular elections, too. That way we could pressure mr. soandso to clarify that his vote was for franken, and that we may list the diabolical and undemocratic coleman voters. Much easier for the peoples’ revolutionary councils to get at them, then!
Anyone who thinks that this person didn’t intend to vote for coleman is either an idiot or a blind mush-headed liberal who lacks any common sense. If that was your vote and the squiggle was next to Franken’s name, i’m sure you wouldn’t think it was confusing to interpret. Get a life people.
To see more challenged ballots go here:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2008/11/19_challenged_ballots/
I like the Rock Idea, next election, lets give all the voters rocks, and they can throw them into the bin for their candidate. that way, the looser can be stoned by his own rocks! If he doesn’t REALLY want the election, he’ll just go half way at it.
Seriuosly folks. THis is getting ridiculous. How can you determine voters intent by looking at a piece of paper?
Heres an idea. Vote for the Third Party, the other two are just screwing each other, and you.
why would anyone vote for either one? Third party is the only way to save this country. Franken’s a raving lunatic.
Who are we kidding? This is the Socialist State of Minnesota. Of course they’ll see to it that Franken wins. 2008 – the year the Democratic Dictatorship was born.
Look, as much as I want Coleman to retain the seat and see Frankin sent packing back to SNL, I can’t help but agree with the law in this case. If the instructions say to “FILL IN THE BUBBLE” and it isn’t filled in, one of two things should have happened…1) the ballot should have been rejected by the machine, or 2) as every sensible voter should know – ASK FOR A NEW BALLOT!!! It’s that simple! What the heck is so hard about understanding that? But, if Frankin is able to find votes stashed in the trunk of someone’s car, fair is fair – this vote should be counted for Coleman.
Franken is an elitist leftist that cries fowl when someone from the other side of the fence uses his own tactics
against him. He’s just crying right now because he is going to loose/has lost and is trying anything he can.
I think that he is more upset that an overwhelming amount of people did not vote for him because he is
Al Franken. Must have deflated his ego a bit. Go back to writing for SNL. For the record I have never voted republican, so cram it die hard liberals and stop towing the party line.
Franken should be working the restroom in a bus station!
This looks like an attempt to enter a fraction. 1/4 possibly? I
bet Coleman’s people stepped in, ripped the pen away from this
poor soul and stuck it in their jugular. Poor bastard. Go Stuart
Smalley!
Can we all take a good look at that ballot and say to ourselves “From now on I will follow instructions”, please?
Oh well, the ReThugs own us an election anyway, since they’ll never be a serious contender for president in my lifetime, we’ll settle for a Minnesota senate seat.
Hi I’m Al Franken. I’m a socialist, a capitalism hating commie if you will who never really was funny. In fact, I’m a rather boring idiot and I say this IS a vote for Norm Coleman, but because I want to steal this election with the help of friend and commie from Russia, George Soros, I will do ANYTHING to to RUIN THE USA….Oops…..you may not find that very funny (Ha hahaha …I do!) so I should say, I want to HELP the USA…..(Become a communist country) and once in office I will see to it that all free speech (Except for us Marxists) is censored and that all conservatives all killed! Who cares about Norm anyways? He’s a damn capitalist!!!!
I honestly can’t imagine anybody in their right (or left) mind even considering a vote for Franken. Let’s be real here: the guy is a nut case!
Is there a any mark next to Frankin’s name?
Is there a check next to Frankin’s name?
Here is an idea, instead of deciding if the rest of the ballot looked like that, or what his intent was, or what ever else…USE COMMON SENSE. The bubble has writing in it, and Frankin’s bubble is blank. Who do you really think he was voting for?!
I guess comon sense is asking to much of American politics these day.
.
how could this NOT be for Coleman. If you were to attempt rectifying a mistake, one would certainly select the intended candidate. Neither were marked…
Good try, go redistribute some one else’s hard earned money.
If Franken is really contesting this ballot,he must
still believe he is in a bad bit om SNL.
Why not use electronic machines like we do here in NJ? Anyway, it’s obvious that the vote is for Coleman. Are the recounters THAT blind? Or is it because liberal Dems just want Al Frankenstein to win, whatever tactic they devise? It’s sickening to hear about election fraud over and again. BTW, whatever happened to the ballots found stuffed in somebody’s car trunk (all for Franken)? Does anybody feel it’s time for the Feds to get involved? Hello…!
You have a “Democratic-Farmer-Labor” party?
What is that?
Looks like this vote is marked with emphasis, no doubting!
Clearly, there is no mark besides Barkley nor Franken….this is common sense.
Coleman is to be declared now. We have so much clowns in
the senate already with the likes of Barney Frank, Reid and Pelosi.
We have a clown as the next president….don’t add Franken.
Come on guys if Florida can count hanging chads for Gore
I think we can safely call this one for Coleman. Who
really wants Stuart Smalley in the senate anyway
Obviously this is a clear vote for Franken.
You idiots. You should be embarrased to be from Minn. Letting a mid level hack writer from SNL completely screw up your voting system. I guess stealing is legal in Minn.
I can honestly say that I am now embarrassed to be from Minnesota. Seems as if the people running for Senate in our state are big idiots just like the people who can’t figure out how to fill in an oval. Norm should be embarrassed for running a terrible campaign and Franken should be embarrassed for acting like a big baby.
This fight will go on and on and on and for the next six years one of the idiots will be complaining about the other idiot; I don’t know if I can take it! I am sure that our leaders in this state will now develop a program on “educating” people on how to fill in an oval; our tax dollars hard at work.
The unidentified voter could have been in their advanced
years where Parkinson have over taken the elderly Lady
or Gentleman’s ability to inscribe complicated geometric
designs.
Had it been placed into Franken’s empty
circle, he too would have claimed the vote.
JPF
OK, what really catches my attention is not the ballot
itself but the fact that franken’s party is listed as
“Democratic-Farmer-Labor”. Is there actually such a party
in MN or is this a ploy to try and get more votes?
Hasn’t Minnesota learned a lesson with idiot celebrity politicians? At least Ventura was likable, but Franken is just a mean spirited, arrogant, obnoxious jerk who’s not even funny. What is going on up there that the race would even be this close?
The vote is for Coleman. If the person wanted to vote for Franken or Barkley then there would be a mark by one of their names also. People need to stop with all the partisan crap and use common sense. The only reason this is being challenged is because the oval is not filled in correctly, so there might be a chance that it will be tossed out on a technicality. “Get every vote anyway you can”.
Don’t be so embarrassed, Minnesotans! It could be worse! You could live here, in the People’s Republic of New Jersey, with the worst Governor ever and more corruption than to be found anywhere. Since we changed over the past 40 years to fewer farmers, more Democrats, fewer farms and more oversized houses (that no one can afford), we have more debt and more taxes. We used to be the “Garden State”, now we’re the “Better Homes and Garden State”, although the homes are not really better. We vote electronically which seems more efficient, no chads, etc. But how do we really know the wires in the booths aren’t crossed?
The voter tried to “x” out his or her vote for coleman – the vote
clearly should not count.
Nice try cheater republiKKKans, but you will lose – the
Good Lord will help the good people defeat the evildoers
such as bush/cheney/coleman.
Why dont they contact these people that turned in
questionable ballots, or even better yet They set up
a web site that everyone can go and check and make sure
their ballot was counted for the correct person
Clearly it is a vote for Franken; Republicans trying to steal the election again!
phh obviously the person really wanted to vote for Franken
that’s why there’s a mark next to his name…
The Dems sure are desperate for that super-majority to A: try to throw out this vote,
and B. elect Al Franken to anything.
Let’s see … we could look at the voter’s “intent” or we could look at what the voter actually DID, which was mark his/her ballot for Coleman. I swear, if I scratched my forearm around these people because my forearm itched and it made a red mark from the scratching, theses idiots would assume my “intent” was obviously to scratch either my elbow or my wrist. Unbelieveable.
A senior citizen with a medical problem sometimes
cant stay within lines????
Any idiot knows that X marks the spot, but the poor guy remembered the chaos in Florida, so he wanted to make sure his X counted, so he did a quick bubble. He was probably nervous because some Franken freak was watching, and that would make anyone scribble!
Everybody knows that X marks the spot, but the poor guy
probably remembered the Florida chaos and wanted to make
sure his X counted, so he started to bubble in, but then
he probably saw a Franken Freak staring at him, and he
just wanted to get his vote in and get the heck out of
there!
Freakin’ Franken is right.
This, clearly, is a vote for Dan Barkley.
See how the ink almost touches Barkley’s oval ??
Obviously, the voter intended to vote for Barkley with
an ‘X’. After realizing their mistake in voting for
Coleman, the voter proceeded to completely fill-in
Coleman’s oval – leaving Barkley’s blank.
Jeez ! What’s wrong with you people ?
Can’t you ‘feel’ the voter’s intent like the Lib’s can ?
Voter fraud is never prosecuted.
Can you blame the Lib’s / ACORN for doing it when so much
is at stake.
He got confused because the blurb under Franken’s name
doesn’t include “Tax Cheat-Pornographer-Tantrum Thrower”
I find it almost impossible to believe that a clown like Franken is with hundreds of votes of winning this election. Are the people of Minnesota really that stupid????? I could understand if Coleman was a convicted felon, a white supremacist, or under indictment for something really nasty, but I can see no other reason to vote for a complete idiot like Franken. I would recommend checking the water in those 10,000 lakes!
So here’s your rock –
Crack head has obviously been smokin it tonight.
You have a “Democratic-Farmer-Labor” party?
What is that?
We don’t even have that description in California!
So, MN is more liberal & freakish than CA? WOW!
I think it is WRONG to assume the vote was marked by…
a person defined as-
elderly,
disabled,
confused.
The vote was marked by a person, of any age-
focused,
determined,
boldly,
marking the candidate of choice.
p.s. please export Franken to Canada before inflicting him on us!
How anyone could take this for anything else but a vote for Norm Coleman must have one heck of a crystal ball.
Typical liberal 2 faced illogic: “Do what I say, not do what I do.” Franken & his cronies will do anything to win the election. They’ve already found several counts for him the day after which weren’t ‘counted’ during the routine election process, gee, I can but wonder why. He steals his jokes, now he wants to steal the election.
One thing is for sure: they only marking is for Coleman, not for Franken. The voter wanted to make it clear that his/her vote was for Coleman. Simple!
It’s hard to say if it’s an X or a slash ( / ).
But one thing’s for sure, whether that person was drunk or just a moron, they were in no condition to vote.
This ‘one’ makes Franken-stein look a little desperate, unfortunately. Nice run, though, Frank. Dang.
Maybe Franken’s plane will crash, resulting in a drop in atmospheric and intellectual pollution.
Yi Ha ***
Minister of Information
Peoples’ Capitalist Republic of Whizbangistan
*** Pronounced “YEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
This could easily go either way, counted or not, my guess is the guy was looking for the presidential vote and saw republican, marked his mark, then saw it wasn’t the presidential vote and crossed it off, not getting a new ballot because they just didnt care about the vote.
Either way, it’s too little to late, even if republicans gain this seat they can only use it to block progress, which will lead to more resentment and the fall of the entire party.
To anyone who voted republican based on racism, Looks like your the minority now, boy.
How on earth is this contestable? He marked Coleman.
Maybe the poor guy was old and his hand little shaky..
It is obvious this person wanted to vote for Coleman, otherwise they would’ve marked one of the other candidates.
Phh, so do you think he was voting for the other two, and placed an X beside the one he didn’t want?
This is how Democrats win elections they should lose: THEY CHEAT.
And the Dems in the Senate will be perfectly fine with getting another in their little gang of thugs, because, after all, “change is coming.”
That’s change, as in “what do you have left in your pocket after Obama and the Dems picked it clean? CHANGE!”
its marked for him and the voter knew it would be scaned by machine if he wanted to change it he woul;d have requested a new form. but you
still need to seee the entire form
It is very very obvious Franken was not even a parting thought for this voter.
If they made a mistake and at first wanted to vote for Coleman then changed their mind, they should have got another ballot. If they did not know the rules. What are we suppose to do? hand help every voter? perhaps a competincy test is in order.
The vote goes to Coleman…it is marked Coleman.
Give me a break. This has got to be a joke. That’s clearly a vote for Coleman. It’s hard to see see a clear X and even if so, maybe that can easily be interpreteted as a vote for Coleman. It’s obviously not a vote for Franken. If the intent is “no vote”, why not get a new ballot (as it their right)? This is a dumb debate. If Coleman can’t get this vote, then this election is a sham.
I have trouble filling in these ovals. I have a medical condition which causes my hands to shake.
This looks very similar to my ballot. lol
Count it for Coleman
this is obviously a vote Bill All hole
How many more examples must I see of Liberalsm the mental disorder in one day?
Even a 3rd grader could understand that this was a vote
for Coleman.
this will give keith olbermann a week to lament how poor ol’ al franken was done wrong by the republicans . he will blame it on on bill’o.
the 3rd grader would have filled the circle in fully if that question was on a test, because they want to get a good grade, if this guy wanted his ballot to count as bad as you guys are implying he would have been sure to fill in the bubble, and i don’t care if you have arthritis or parkenson’s or what your excuse is, there was no time limit on your voting, you had all day to fill the circle in nice and dark.
I can’t believe it… are you kidding me? Seriously…this is
totally not a ballot worth questioning… it is clear who the vote is for.
I mean, click my name.. If they were trying to fix a mistake they would of
clearly fixed it by filling in a full circle completely. This is a vote
for Coleman, nuff said.
This vote is absolutely for Coleman. Anyone who thinks it’s not is
on medication. Follow the logic. If this person voted
for Coleman by mistake, then why is Franken’s oval blank.
Wouldn’t you still scribble in your candidate of choice.
This goes to show the stupidity and/or pettyness of the “Great” Al. There are three possible intents. One a vote for Coleman (believable), vote for no one (ambiguous and voter would have requested new ballot to unambiguous), or three a vote Franken or Barkley (no evidence on this ballot). I am not a MN voter and don’t know too much about Coleman. But the Franken camp raising this as a “questionable” ballet it sophmoric. I would be embarrassed it my representative had to win by this kind of tactic. This is an insight into the Franken character/integrity.
Well, it really obvious that this voter had no intent to vote for Franken given there is no mark next to his name. So, lets’s give it to the other guy who has the (quite significant) mark next to his name.
How about this: Let’s just believe the darn machines and be done with this. The darker mark wins.
[...] November 20th, 2008 Urban Conservative Here is an example of one ballot that Mr. Franken is challenging. Now, I can see if there was a mark on both, but c’mon … let’s get real here. In all [...]
Wow…..Look at the depths this Schmuck has allowed himself to go to. I seriously hope there are rational individuals in the state of Minnesota that will stand up and put a stop to this sad and pathetic process.
“The best argument against democracy
is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
-Winston Churchill
There is a substantial amount of discontinuities
with Franken’s logic on the matter of recounting.
I agree that the voter was able to request another
ballot if they wanted to change their vote.
But wait. I thought Democrats wanted EVERY vote to count?
Of course the voter clearly intended to vote for
Franken, that’s why all of his markings are next
to Coleman! Now you can all quit wasting time and
go home to await the crowning of his honorable Sir
Franken while he clears up that little tax avoidance
scandal.
The same people who say this is not a vote for Coleman wanted an inkless DOT to count for Gore in 2000.
Only a Kool-aid drinking Liberal (spelled s-o-c-i-a-l-i-s-t) Democrat could look at something like this ballot and be confused on the voters intent. Now suppose you were an idiot and then suppose you were a democratic Congressman but then I repeat myself.
They have already stolen Oregon and they have already stolen Alaska. Now if they can just steal Minnesota and win the runoff in Georgia, Democrats will have a filibuster proof Senate, an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives, and the farthest left, by a longshot, president in the history of the country. They can do WHATEVER THEY WANT, so there will be NO EXCUSES and NO BLAMING REPUBLICANS when it all goes up in smoke.
So what kind of marks are on the rest of the ballot?
This is funny! I knew it would be. What do you expect he’s a comedian.
Don’t worry, Al, they’re recounting. You only lost by 605, I mean 590, I mean 438, I mean 221, I mean 206. I’m sure various elections officials will locate about 20,000 more ballots, and you should win by about 19,794. Why pour salt in Coleman’s wounds? Is it THAT important for you to win by 19,795? A win is a win, just sit back knowing all the fraudulent votes are coming your way and there’s nothing to fear.
Looks like a dangling chad to me.
This is easy. There are no other marks for any other candidate for Senate. So if the voter wanted to cross it out, they would have selected another choice. If they totally wanted to skip a vote for SSenate, then they could have put an X over all choices to in-validate the all three of them.
Why are you even considering Franken? Did he ever take the satelite dish off his head? You guys ne
Wow. Just…wow…
phh and franken…more proof that liberals are the dumbest creatures on the planet.
A person with a medical condition could think they colored in the bubble especially if they were legally blind.
Is the REST of the ballot got an “X” and “SQUIGGLY” lines in the bubble for a candidate in each race?
Whether its YES or NO, Its MARKETED.
If the voter was editorializing, too bad.
Its a VOTE, Its COUNTED,
Dems, Stop your DISENFRANCHISING VOTERS!!!!!
AL IS SO GAY
Look at that ballot. Nevermind the voter.
You can support :
a) ‘Independence’
b) ‘Republican’
c) ‘Democratic-Farmer-Labor’
WTF is ‘Republican’? Anybody would want to associate
themselves with idyllic Independence and heroic Democratic
Farm Laborors rather than the popularly outcast, evil
‘Republicans’ wouldn’t they? This is a new era. Don’t worry
about the ‘military-industrial-complex’. Much more frightening
is ‘Media-Academicia’ for they control the pen, which is mightier than
the sword.
I want Al Franken to win.
and, it’s so obvious that that’s a vote for Coleman.
to say otherwise is disingenious.
How can this ballot be anything else but coleman? it’s not even close. The dems foungt over and over for “voters intent” to count. I think the voters intend is clear in this case. Where is the mark that he wanted to vote otherwise? Isn’t it the Dem mantra “every vote counts (even if your a felon or dead, and even of you don’t exisit)
Wake up you democrate partisans! Have you no honor. I do not see ink below or above Coleman’s. Maybe the voter does not have full control of his hands. Clearly the vote is for Coleman. Find another ballot to steal.
Wake up you partisans democrates! Have you no honor. I do not see ink below or above Coleman’s. Maybe the voter does not have full control of his hands. Clearly the vote is for Coleman. Find another ballot to steal.
thats a vote for “smiley”,,,,can i have my pack of Kools
and my colt malt 40oz now…..
Franken is a tool
I think Franken forgot that the “Hanging Chads” comedy routine is about 8 years too late. If he concedes, he could still claim to invent the internet, and oh, he could also become a political climatologist and predict and make a global warming movie pretending to be a weather man.
I call that a spoiled ballot.
Doesn’t count, period.
That was my ballot, but when I filled it out I was on the same cocktail of hard drugs that Franken used to take during those drug and sex-fuelled late night sessions when he was a writer for SNL in the late 1970s, as described in a few documentary books from the time, a few books which no doubt “Mister” Franken would like to see buried today!
Oups, Sorry, I meant to vote for Franken, he’s absolutely right: that’s my vote and it should count for him. Thank God he knows how to interpret the votes, just as he he is equipped to take over the finances of this country: after all, he’s been on SNL before.
You have to be kidding “crack head”. How could anyone think that this person wanted to vote for Coleman?? Is the rock for your head?
The person obviously thought you could just put an “X” in the oval and then corrected it by scribbling to fill in the rest. One thing that is definite is that they did not vote for Franken! The dems are so pathetic!
Anyone thinking the vote could be for anyone but the one clearly marked has scribble marks on their own brain.
Obviously they meant to vote for Fradkan. A Republican, while every bit as stupid as a democrat, is more inclined to and capable of following directions.
I sure am glad Franken lives in MN.and not my State
This was an old coot who was using this type of system
for the first time. He OBVIOUSLY voted for Coleman, the
final line is not an X. Franken is trying to steal the
election any way he can. This is a disgrace.
As I am a M.D., I write prescriptions all day that look like this. So, I can read it, and it says Coleman.
I just hope Coleman’s team of lawyers are holding the
Franken votes to the same “high standards” that he is
setting before Coleman.
Wasn’t this the same Al Franken that was on Air America
decrying the 2000 vote in FL? Now he is doing the exact
same thing …typical Democrat
Did it occurred to anyone that a person that has a physical impediment did go to the polls and exercise their right to vote and that is the best he can do filling out the oval? Could that be possible to even consider? It is clear who he voted for… Maybe I’m not right or something…
A vote for Prince. Now that’s funny! In the event this
is not a vote for Coleman, how could anyone (Al – gosh
darn it, people like me – Franken not withstanding)
consider this a vote for Franken
As a lifelong minnesotan I am embarassed to have so many winwangs vote for that notalent wanabe want to know how I really feel???????????
Anyone here bitching about “following directions” ever
seen an elderly person or someone with a bad hand write?
?? It looks like hell!
Get a grip, this is a Coleman vote.
It should go to Coleman. Lets not be silly. If the voter didn’t want to vote for Coleman he/she could have asked for a new ballot. If you don’t count it, you could be taking a vote away from somebody because they have bad eyes or hands.
The Republicans need to fight this to the death with everything and everyone they can or they will loose party members by the thousands. Republicans better grow some nads !!!!!
Do you people that think this is not an actual vote have any integrity or principles? Seriously, this isn’t even close to being up for discussion. Yes, I’m conservative, but I’m also happy Ted Stevens got beat in Alaska because he was a disgrace. I want Coleman to win, but I want him to win fairly, I’d hope you liberals would want it fair, too.
Hello…I don’t see any portion of the “Franken” circle filled in…so what in the world is the problem??? Grow up, people. It’s obviously a vote for Coleman. If the voter had tried to “eradicate” the mistake, then wouldn’t they have at least tried to fill in the circle for the other candidate? Geesh. I can’t believe Stuart Smalley is that desperate.
I work at the polls and see several people who don’t “blacken the oval”. Sometimes the machine can read it and sometimes it can’t. I say it’s a vote for Coleman as nothing else is marked, as is the case of a misvote. Anyone who does not mark their ballot correctly is free to request another one. I gave out 6 in November. Was this ballot originally counted as spoiled or counted and was it replaced?
Hey!, I didn’t know Franken was into Farmer – Labor. Can he help me clean out my cattle barn? And he’s a Democrate! Perfect! He’s almost one [won?] with bulls@#t!!!
[...] an example of a ballot Al Franken is challenging: longing for hanging [...]
What difference if it is an X or a circle squiggly, its still a vote for Coleman. It should count and that idiot Franken should have some class and just congratulate the real winner. Is this all we
have to look forward to with the Dems, a bunch of whiners and crybabies. Let’s put someone in office that actually may care about the state and the country. Al Franken is not that person!
This guy hated Franken so much he put in a check, circle and
and X
Though I support Al Franken, the selection in the
image clearly shows the voter intended to select Coleman.
Can I get my rock too?
That is an obvious vote for Coleman… I don’t see anything close to resembling a mark on franken or BArkley… The intent of the voter is clear! And for you people to claim otherwise is complete garbage!
Let’s see the rest of the ballot. This by itself tells us nothing, but to read Drudge, you’d think that Al himself was personally complaining about this ballot.
How little it takes to mislead.
Whatever the interpetaion; it is definently not a vote
for Al.
Looks like Al doesn’t know who he is from the ballot. I
got a chuckle when I read farmer/labor.
If the voters intent was to change his vote, than why isn’t there another mark for a different canidate? I mean it stands to reason if he changed his mind wouldn’t he mark in the canidate he really wanted? This country is full of idoits, liars, and cheats. The vote should stand …..
now now stuart, play nice. didn’t we teach you not to lie out of your little filthy mouth? tell the nice man that even someone as stupid as you can figure out that is a clear vote for your little friend.
bad bad stuart.
no congress for you tonight. now go to bed without dinner.
This is obviously a Franken vote! The votee used no intended thoughts, was qute sloppy, and had no concept nor respect of the importance of the vote.
A typical misguided democrat liberal voter.
Never mind , I’ve decided to go back to
SNL and do lousy comedy.
here is the proof! this is the final evidence that bush stole the florida election in 2000! go get ‘em stuart!
I think it’s a vote for Gore.
I’m sorry, what is the mark next to? Coleman. There are no other marks anywhere in the area. Enough said.
You people are nuts! First Jesse now a bad commedian! Whatever happened to common sense? Why I left Minnesota and won’t be back. You deserve what you get.
How can anyone NOT KNOW that this person voted
for Coleman? Do you see a mark by Franken or
by Barkley?? How stupid!! Of course he voted
for Coleman and this whole thing is a joke!!
Coleman has won this race and it should be
over by now!!
The voter was artharitic. So what;s the problem?
Are you kidding me? Of course this is a vote for Coleman. I’ve done the same a thousand times, you start with an “X” and then remember that you need to fill in the circle. Sloppy work, but we certainly don’t see a mark anywhere near Franken’s name, do we?
This is why Al Franken is obviously not suited for senate, nor any other serious government posting!!
If the voter didn’t intend to vote for Coleman as some suggest, then who did he/she vote for? It’s clear that the vote was for Coleman, as no other candidate has a mark by their name.
Covering this story on my blog COMMON CENTS. Check it out and tell a friend…
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com
I voted for Colman when dey drove me down der…den I
changed my mind when they said dey would shoot me up for
free (Ihope dat wasn’t wit a gun) if I voted for dat udder guy. He’s not even funny
but I wanted the dope.
If that mark was found next to Franken’s name it would have to be counted because the person might have been handicaped or maybe an immigrant couldn’t read the directions because it there weren’t any instructions in spanish. But because the vote was cast in the republicans slot it is undeniably inadmissible and should not be counted. A double standard…? NO! just business as usual in American politics.
what a bunch of morons in Minn.
Where is all of the Democrat compassion and love??? What about the Americans with Disabilities Act? This was obviously Michael Fox voting for Norm.
It amazes me that some people can want things so badly that they will lose all rational judgement and common sense to fight for it. Anyone who thinks this isn’t a vote for Coleman should be institutionalized immediately. Get real you liberals loons!
OBVIOUSLY, this is a vote for Coleman. If it were
not, there would be a mark for another candidate.
The voter could be suffering from a stroke,
parkinson’s, whatever. But political whores
will always sell their pricipals for a vote.
Witness some of the comments on this article!
Why doesn’t the state just ask this guy who he voted for?
Was this a vote found in a democrat’s trunk?
Of course not. Defying statistical possibility,
they were all for Franken. Liberalism defies credulity.
Coleman should challenge it. It looks like it is circled, X’d, and filled in. It should count as three Coleman votes.
What the hell is a “Democratic-Labor-Farmer” anyway?
Couldn’t he make up his frankin mind?
Just another example of how common sense is uncommon, especially when dealing with Dumocraps!
The country voted for change and Pennsylvania re-elects John Murtha who calls his constituents red-neck racists. The MSM (and ACORN) has created the most uninformed voting population in my lifetime!
this was my ballot. i was in a hurry to get
to work and wanted to make sure my vote counted.
so i x’ed it then thought the machine might not
count it so then filled in the oval. sorry you
are so stupid that you cant tell who i voted
for…………
They have CSI ways of finding out if the X was put on last.
CSI should also examine every ones heads who voted for the moron Franken.
Since there is no other mark next to Franken it is a vote for Coleman. The Democrats will stop at nothing to destroy the electoral process as long as it suits their needs.
COME ON NOW, DONT ANAL-ISE THIS, ITS FOR COLEMAN,
OMG THAT COUNTER IS SOFA KING WE TODD IT.
just do the honarable thing and crawl into a hole
and shut up Al
They’re coloring outside the lines! I’m telling!
Prince would definitely win unless he’s too cool to ask for a recount.
~
I think this is clearly a vote for Buchanan!!! Must have been a Florida voter.
Al Franken was never funny on SNL, and now as a Democrat, he’s hilarious!
I wonder if the squiggle had been in the Franken oval ole’ Al would still be challenging it?
Obviously that was a vot for Franken. Just like all the bloots “found” in a car trunk. Ane the ones yet to be “found” in the cemetary.
Steal it Fanken stein.
One thing for certain — not a spec darken the circle for “Al Franken”
One thing for certain — not a spec darkens the circle for “Al Franken”
On its own…looks like a vote for Norm Coleman.
Would someone please tell this idiot to stop wasting taxpayers’ money!!
This is clearly a vote for Coleman. If the voter wanted to select another candidate then the other candidate’s oval would have been marked. Since the other candidate’s ovals are unmarked and the only marks are on the Coleman oval, it’s simple. The vote is for Coleman. Plus the machine read the vote for Coleman. Case closed!
Overall, this is getting ridiculous! It is absolutely absurd if Candidates are going to be able to contact the voter on a rejected ballet!!
I’ll tell you how its a vote for Coleman,
despite how there’s a supposed “x” through it,
There was no attempt to fillin the Franken bubble.
So if he or she was trying to cross out a mistake,
why would they try to fill in the right bubble as well?
Doesn’t make much sense right?
It is obviously a vote for Franken. How could anyone think otherwise. And in a year where a Governor is deemed unqualified to run for executive office why has nobody challenged Frankens qualifications. Or does failed radio hack = political knowledge?
Common sense would tell you that if it’s the ONLY oval with ink in it, then that’s where the vote is going to be counted for….Coleman. Of course we all know Democrats don’t have common sense so thewill use their convoluted thought process to somehow justify or interpret just exactly what that voter’s intentions were and miraculously that intention will fall to the Democrat’s advantage.
Is there know bounds to the level of their stupidity or absurdity?
The votes are read by scantron… sooooo obviously the one filled in will be the one counted. This is true whether filled in with an X or a squiggle. If you mess up on a ballot and care… you get another ballot. Since no other spot has a mark… this vote should go to Coleman. Period.
You Minnasotans who would even consider electing an idiot like Al Franken need to have your head examined. What happened to you people?
The voter was informed to get a new ballot if he/she made a mistake. If they are too stupid to follow directions, then so be it. The ballot is marked for Coleman, so that’s the vote that should be entered. No one can the read the mind of the one who made that vote, so you have to go by what was marked. Otherwise, our entire voting system is in shambles.
UP DOG, thanks for the great laugh, that was quick on your part.
how much more intent does one have to show for a ballot?
what’s next, sworn affadvits per each choice ?
The only marks are by Coleman. How can anyone figure he or she was voting for anyone else?
This is stupid. The oval is filled in for Coleman. Franken’s oval has nothing in it. Duh!
It looks like a ballot I made, where I started out with an X and then relized I needed to make the oval filled in. Count this vote. Sorry for the trouble.
Hey Mickey Mouse, if it was FRANKEN’S box that had this
in it, you’d be SCREAMING for it to be counted, so spare
us the dramatics, you idiot.
Obviously he was voting for Franken but marked the bubble by Coleman by mistake and tried
to undo it and then marked his ballot for Franken…..
okaaaaayyyyyyy.
Gosh– it’s just so obvious. Surely it’s another magical vote for Al.
This demonstrates clearly that Mr. Franken is no better than BUSH!
Why don’t they just ask the person that filled the
ballot? Surely there is a name on that thing!
this is a sad excuse for news. Someone couldn’t fill in
a bubble correctly…whoop di doo. Are all the franken
fans so desperate to get him elected they’ll go off anything,
even a messed up bubble? The bubble is filled in for
Colemen, whether they intended it or not it was a vote
for him. If they tried to x out coleman and really wanted
a vote for Franken…wouldn’t they have marked Franken
bubble? Seriously people
Franken must still be on drugs if can’t clearly see that this is a vote for his opponent.
So why haven’t the network news people been all over this??
Clearly they are grasping at straws trying to steal votes from Coleman;
Franken need to grow up and accept the fact that he lost.
This is baloney. I am disgusted. Its obvious what the voters intent was
and NO ONE else was voted for.
That “nut job” Franken just wont give up. I think
that he should just be happy that he came that close.
I hope that the reason that Franken received that many
votes was because of the peoples disappointment in
Coleman and not because they felt that Franken was a sane
candidate.
I agree with phh and crack head. This was obviously a vote Coleman.
Obviously its a vote for Barkley. Charles Barkley.
Duh!
Umm… this is a vote for Coleman, folks. That something so bloody obvious is being seriously debated lessons your credibility for any serious debate. If it was a mistake, the person would have said so and asked for another ballot. I know there are folks that REALLY want Franken to win this, but if this is your argument for it, then you have become what it is that you despise.
you’d think that if someone wanted to X out their vote, they’d do it an unambiguous way. i agree, though, that looking at the rest of the ballot would be helpful in interpreting this one particular pproblem.
Dems religiously believe they are entitled to power.
They will do anything to get it. Illegal contributions,
illegal voting registrations, refusal to disclose
campaign contributions etc And Obama set a nice
precedent by getting all of his opponents removed
from the ballot in the Illinois race so he would
be guaranteed a win. Why is this a surprise? Franken
is simply following the game plan.
Go ahead MineySota send another Clown to the senate. He wwukk fut rught ubti wuthg the itehr ckiill will fit right in with the other Clowns, idiots and left
-wing nuts there now!!!! They will be a perfect comple
ment to N Peloski, E Fuddd, and D Kuchnichs’ in the house
The Messiah sure has brought a lot of these %$@$^&%^& out from under their rocks.
Change we can laugh at. Grab your guns and clutch your bibles!!!! We arhave a rought road ahead.
Obviously that person meant to vote for Coleman, but after the controversy with Obama supposedly trying to “coach” mentally challenged voters into voting for him, I have to wonder looking at this if something similar didn’t happen here. seriously, how hard is it to fill in a bubble? this craphead could have taken the time to do it appropriately if they care enough to vote in the first plplace…
I, for one, have not seen the instructions…..if it says just to mark the circle for the candidate of your choice, then this ballot is pretty clear…does anyone have access to the instructions so they can really assess this example?
Hey Mickey Mouse,
If you can’t use correct punctuation, you shouldn’t
have your comments read. They certainly are not believed.
It certainly isn’t a vote FOR Al Franken.
Anyone who takes standardized tests knows that you fill in the oval completely. If you make a mistake, you have to erase it completely. Since there is no other mark anywhere for Franken or the Independent candidate, it must be looked at that the person intended to vote for Coleman. No one knows what the voter actually intended, so the logical thing to do is look at what was actually done. If the voter made an error, simply ask for a new ballot. The rest of the ballot is not relevant.
What a freaking joke. Franken, I mean.
Politics is a joke.
It is normal. The Democrates are basically the Marcho
bimbo Girly Man Cult like the Jones Town Cult in Guianna
They are lying, cheating, whoreing,adultrous,drug users
and the crying belly acking back stabing Elitous
run out when the going gets tough BRAGADOSIO
CALIFORNICATED DEAD SOULED AND DAMDED
Is there a mark at Coleman?…Yes. Is there a mark at Franken?…No End of mystery. Anyone stillidoubt is less than honest.
Well, phh and crack head and others, lets examine this logically, shall we?
A) There’re bubbles where marks are supposed to be made next to each candidate.
B) Coleman’s name has a mark, a very poor, squiggly mark, that goes outside the bubble.
C) However, even if you think this is supposed to ‘X’ out/cancel that choice, Where is the filled in bubble next to ANY OTHER candidate?
D) One should logically conclude that the person casting this ballot is very poor at filling in bubbles. Maybe they have arthritis, or parkinsons. Add to that, the fact that if they are old enough, they would have never used a “scantron” type test in school, and had no practice at it.
I concure, that phh’s comment IS the dumbest thing I’ve seen on the internet today.
The interpretation of this ballot that makes the most sense is that
the voter intended to vote for Coleman. Concluding
anything else is just guessing.
Only a total idiot could even consider that this was not a vote for Coleman. Of course, a democrat wouldn’t be hampered by real world thoughts. Have they no shame? Of course not, they couldn’t be democrats if they had the ability to feel shame, or even had any understanding of right and wrong.
A MARK IS A MARK IS A MARK. I WORKED THE POLLS FOR TWENTY SEVEN YEARS. THIS IS A VOTE FOR COLEMAN. SOME PEOPLE DO NOT JUST X A BALLOT. THEY HAVE A LITTLE FLARE. THIS IS STUPID. I SURE HOPE COLEMAN WINS.
Voting rules by Al Franken – any vote that I appeal and win is a vote for me and one less for my opponent. That way I pick up 2 votes each time.
And in a state like MN, I can get this rule passed.
Come on MN, how can you lower yourself and vote for this goofball. Coleman is a good guy. Franken is an idiot.
So the thought here is that the voter decided not to vote at all?
Given the candidates I do not question the decision just wondering why
they bothered to go to the polls.
Directions on ballot were not followed and the ballot is improperly marked. This ballot is void!
That vote is perfectly legitimate and only a retard (obama voter) would question it. All obama voters are retards.
Run the stack through the machine and let the algorithms “decide” if the vote counts. If enough of the dot is filled in for Coleman, and the machine counts it, it counts. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. This hand-reviewing of balots is ridiculous.
The idea that the people of Minnesota would even come close to sending a complete idiot like Stuart Smalley (a.k.a. Al Franken) to the senate is incredible. Oh, wait, they elected jesse Ventura governer….never mind.
It is obvious that the voter was indicating the candidate he wanted to lose. If I was Barkley, I would demand a 1/2 vote.
Al you did lose…give it up…everything you have done has truly sucked! You are good…good for nothing…crawl back behind the mic on some obscure radio channel and maybe hope for the censorship doctorine to be instituted…then maybe you could share the airwaves with you pal Bill O’Reilly. Now Bill…he IS good…his tv and radio shows are hits…his books are bestsellers…in fact Al…maybe you should just go away…but that won;t happen…your progressive ego will not allow for that. You have to be the voice of Minnesotans…I hope Jesse Ventura would come and maybe piledrive some sense into your head…YOU SUCK!!!
So why do the Frankenstien nitwits want to
count this for Franken? Why not count it for
Barkley?
Acorn and obamaites stole this election
Why anyone other than Al Franken would actually
VOTE for Al Franken is beyond me…
THIS IS CLEARLY A VOTE FOR COLEMAN. ARE THOSE PEOPLE
REALLY THAT STUPID. POLL WORKERS SO NOT HAVE MUCH OF A
LIFE. I KNOW. I WAS ONE FOR 27 YEARS. WE ONLY GET OUR FAME
ON ELECTION DAY
Clearly this was for Al Franken. Why else would this astute citizen leave Franke’s oval unmarked? It was to leave open the option of showing how much he disaproved of Coleman. That was no mere X..No hanging chad there. This was a forceful, deliberate attempt to sribble out once and for all the possibility of Coleman returning to Washington.
Maybe the voter may have problems with his hands, Parkinson’s disease maybe. This vote may not have been counted at all with the automated machine. Thanks Franken for the recount. Another vote for Coleman.
Obviously an Al Frankin voter – too stupid to properly fill out a ballot!
I am a town moderator in another state and as part of
my set of duties, I oversee voting and vote counting
including determining voter intent on ballots like
these. This one is rather simple – voter intent clearly
was to vote for Coleman. What is distressing is that
anyone would question this legally – is there no respect
for the sanctity of the vote anymore?
Franken is a dummy. If the vote had not been for Coleman, a line should have been drawn through the nname. A blind hog will find an acorn everynow and then.
Well he clearly didn’t vote for Franken, that’s for sure. If you’re trying to change your vote and are too stupid or lazy to ask for a new ballot, too bad for you…shouldn’t be voting anyway then.
Personally, I think this is just Franken grasping at straws.
I just thought of a GREAT vetting idea for our beloved politicians. Every Represenative or Senator should have a ballot come up before them like this one, and the person running against them should be marked like this. They should be asked whether it is a vote for that candidate, or if it should count at all. Any dishonnest b@stard who says anything other than that it is a vote for his opponent, should be disqualified/stricken from the process! And every vote for him nullified. Assuming most politicians are dishonnest, then the only honnest one left standing would win, be it a Green, Constitutional, Libertarian, or Federalist party candidate. Failing that, the next candidate with the most write in votes should be sent to Washington DC.
Al Franken should be ashamed of himself. What a whiny, little crybaby.
Take your loss like a man.
It’s NOT a clear vote for Coleman. But what IS clear is that neither Franken nor Barkley were on this voter’s mind.
With no other ovals marked, how can you not count
this for Coleman? If the person made a mistake he/she
could have asked for a new ballot.
heck, that ballot SHOULD be challenged. It looks like they crossed it our with an “x” for pete
s sake.
how many different parties is Franken a part of. I guess
he left off trash collector and
the ice fisher party
It’s an obvious vote for Coleman – does Minnesota really want a Senator that thinks that ballot was meant for him? WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE IN MN? Franken? Come on!
Shades of Al Gore and John Kerry again.
Keep checking until it goes your way.
It is a vote for Coleman. Looks like the voter marked his choice with an X…worried that the mark wasn’t sufficient…then tried to fill in more. If he had changed his mind, the other candidates would probably have been marked. This is a stupid “desperate” challenge.
I wonder how many people would be for counting this vote or against it if they did not know the names beside the bubble? How about we give the list of bubbles to a judge who has no idea about the case who does not know who is running etc. and ask him does this vote go to A B C or D canidate. Seems unbiased doesn’t it? Of course I am of the opinion that reading into the mind of the voter is plain stupid. People don’t read instructions they just make a mark for who they want. By the way what is this voting against someone crap? Saying I don’t want this guy is not even a choice. If you hate someone that bad then vote for the best choice to beat the guy you don’t want!!!!! It is really sad how so many people want to win at any cost even if it means destroying our Constiution.
This is just another attempt by the far-left liberal
loons to revise history. How can anyone be so
stupid as to not see this ballot is clearly marked
as a vote for Norm Coleman?
No, this voter clearly, OBVIOUSLY, meant to vote for Al Franken and it should be counted as such. ALL votes for Norm Coleman were REALLY meant for Al Franken and should be counted as such. You Republicans are just jealous that you lost.
If Franken is successful in challenging that as being a vote for Coleman, does Coleman then get to challenge every vote for Franken that isn’t 100 percent pretty and blackened in?
Actually, that looks like a vote for Coleman to me. If it’s supposed to be a voter who changed his mind, there’s no indication what he changed his mind to, i.e., nothing filled in for either of the other two guys. So just looks like a sloppy vote, but it’s a vote.
Obviously the voter was scribbling to try and get the pen’s ink flowing….
Funny how the show is on the other foot now, and its the Dems that are wanting to disenfranchise legitamate ballots.
It is clearly for Coleman
Ok –
This is CLEARLY NOT A VOTE FOR FRANKEN….
How can anyone try to claim that this
is a vote against Coleman?
If it was a vote against Coleman – they would have
marked either Franken or Barkley – there is not option
to vote against any of the candidates.
Franken is a creep anyway….
He’s also a sore loser!
If it comes down to a 1 vote difference,
then they should worry about this ballot –
Otherwise – just count them – don’t try to
interpet them…….
The person who filled out this ballot may have had arthritis….but clearly intended to vote for Coleman. How dare you hypocritical, mean-spirited Libs question someone who may have disabilities?
Who ya gonna believe? Me . . . or those lyin’ eyes of yours.
IF it has to be an X… THAT is a spoiled ballot.
IF it can be any mark…THAT is vote for Coleman.
There is no doubt that this vote was for Coleman, but what the heck does
Al Franken
Democratic-Farmer-labor
mean?
If this person wasn’t voting for Coleman, then who was he/she voting for?
Being from Florida (at one time from your sister state, Wisconsin) it seems that you guys are arguing over minutia. It doesn’t make a nickels worth of difference which one of these losers get in as neither will ‘represent’ you. It appears that you had a pretty pathetic slate from which to choose. It seems the whole country is going that way. The people we send to the capital are there for their own agenda. The concept of representative government is now dead and has been for quite some time. Take the choice for President of this once great country. Going back to Jimmy Carter, probably the most pathetic president in our history, we have faced this dilemma. Then we got the Bushes. And I am not sure we could have gotten a more dismal couple of guys from which to choose this time. You have a black guy that has gotten into office without telling anyone what he would or would not do in any given situation. People are haling this as a turning point in our countries race relations. Bull. The guy was glib and running against a loser of the first order and even then the race was fairly close. On the other side you had a white war hero that seems to have gotten a pretty good education while in confinement in N. Vietnam (remember the Mancurian Candidate?). I just shake my head.
We let illegals in this country willy nilly to take the jobs our children and those without educations should be filling but neither of the candidates seemed willing to address that issue. We have two border guards cooling their heels in prison because they were doing their job but that didn’t come up. The list goes on and on without end. The conservatives are now liberal and the liberals are now around the bend. The boy scouts are now the bad guys and the gays and chicken hawks are now the good guys. Marriage, a religious institution, is now conferred upon two people of the same sex. I can show you in the bible where it says that a man shall not lie with a man but can you show me where the bible oks that type of behavior? Yet even ministers of some churches sanction these unions. When is this crap going to end? When are ‘we the people’ going to say enough is enough? When is the people’s will going to be enforced? It might be a way off but I predict a backlash. Hopefully it will not be a violent one. But as Thomas Jefferson said “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
He gets to pretend he’s senator for a few more weeks,
even he knows he’s lost. Let’s give Mr. Frankin his play
time at the taxpayors expense, he’ll be going home soon
enough with his tail between his legs and won’t be heard
from again for hopefully many years.
Its clear to me that the voter is an idiot. Therefore, he/she was probably a Franken supporter.
the person who filled it out is idiot. therefore it must be for franken
As a conservative, I believe the Constitution says it is the constitutional right for all citizens to vote. The intent of the voter outweighs whether or not the voter followed directions.
Of course, that was the Democrats’ defense back in the Florida recount in 2000. Interesting…
Al Franken is a douche and a really lame comedian. I think the funniest thing I’ve ever seen him involved with is this election. Of course, the people of Minnesota who voted for the douche are bigger douches than even he.
wow, that is beyond clear, obviously a vote for Coleman, I dont care what you call yourself, dont be dumb.
Seriously people, it is ridiculous to argue over the intent of the person that filled in this ballot. Since he did not vote for anyone else for the position it cannot be declared that he wanted to erase all vote for the position. Absent a clear vote or action indicating he made a mistake, like a note saying I want to cancel this vote for coleman and vote for someone else or vote for know one the vote for coleman must stand. Besides if he made a mistake all he had to do was request a new ballot to enter it correctly.
Stop the churn. Just call the voter and ask him/her to confirm their vote.
The voter intention is clear and obvious with that ballot.
He voted for Coleman. Al Franken and his team are
making themselves look like fools without basic common
sense for challenging this one.
I can hear it now:
“But its his right to challenge it.”
Yes it is his right, but that doesn’t protect him
from the court of public opinion judging him harshly for his lack of
common sense and poor judgement in this instance.
If he wants to win the Senate seat, he has to win it
fairly and play fairly to get it. That is if he wants
to able to govern from a position of having the respect
of his constituency. A voice of authority has less
effectiveness when you exhibit a lack of common sense
which removes the people’s respect for you.
I don’t want to hear arguments about Florida 2000 and
Bush stealing an election. If anybody decides to lead with
that argument to counter me, they are wrong already.
1. First of all, two wrongs don’t make a right. “Because
Bush, Gore, the Easter bunny, Santa did it too doesn’t
excuse Al Franken’s lack of common sense in this instance.
2. Any politician who needs to election law and the courts tricks
to win already lost in my view.. even if they win.
Do you not recall how much political fallout there was
for Bush even after he won the white house? It was
substantial.
Franken will suffer the same fallout if he wins in a
way that is perceived to be unfair by the voters who
didn’t vote for him.
If the vote was tring to change his vote then why is they not another mark for the person he was try to vote for. It is just commom sence that he was voting for Coleman.
I agree with the suggestion that he x the oval and then relized he had to fill it in. It was the first thing on the ballot so I even made that same mistake.
SInce we can’t be in the mind of the voter to know if he tried to change this vote or if he tried to follow the instructions after only putting an “X” in the oval the only thing that can be done is follow the ballot’s marking which in this case is a vote for Coleman.
Dean Barkley could make the arguement that this is his
vote too!!!!
I said back in 2000 that if thing turned out in Gore’s favor, the democrates would have said too bad if they didn’t vote corectly. Thank you frankin supports for making me right.
If this is the only ballot so far to challenge, I say Al’s got a long road.
Unfortunately, he’s not good enough, not smart enough, and doggonit, not enough people liked him.
It’s pretty clear that there is NO vote for Barkley or Franken on that ballot – only for Coleman.
(By the way, I found 564 absentee ballots in my trunk. Curiously, every one is for Coleman. Where do I need to deliver them to be sure that every vote gets counted?)
If you make a mistake then you ask for another ballot. No a pinch of Rocket Science involved. On the other hand, look at the other marks on the page. If they are similarly marked then “make it so Number One”. Instead of “hanging chads” we now have “sloppy fillings”, Where does your madness end AL?
So, the poor New Yorker has to go back to New York, because his Carpet Bagging the state of Minnessota went over poorly! Too fricking bad, you idiot, you did not deserve to represent the state of Minnesota to being with, being a Carpet Bagger from New york City! That kills Harry Reids Christmas Wish!
It’s probably Franken’s own ballot. “I meant to vote for me!”
When in doubt, throw it out.
Only in the fine state of Minnesota would a person like Al Franken even have a chance. Ya der hey!
So in the 2000 recount, Democrats were claiming that if thewre was even the slightest mark there was even the slightest mark on the ballot, where it looked as if someone might have even placed the stylus against the ballot, (they called this a “Pregnant Chad”) those were to be counted as votes for Gore, and they then employed sooth-saying and psychic practices in order to decide what the voters’s actual “intended Vote” was. However, this vote that has been cast for Coleman, because it did not completely fill in the bubble, is obviously a mistake and should be thrown out due to not following the directions to the exact letter…or that this person, regardless of the fact there are no other markings anywhere near any other candidate, obviously was attempting to tell people he did not want to vote for Coleman, apparently using the same sooth-sayers and psychics.
You Liberals are completely devoid of a conscience or any sense of fair play aren’t you? Is Franken really so desperate and scared that he would attempt to invalidate an obvious vote for his opponent based on these weak and lame reasonings? This is clearly a vote for Coleman, and to have it thrown out based on any of the stated reasonings only shows what corrupt hypocrites the Democrats are.
And since there have been no claims of voter fraud, intimidation, or disenfranchisement…you know, since the Democrat won the big race, then can we assume then that all those stated problems have been fixed? After all, you guys never claim any of those things unless the Democrat loses.
Hypocrites and crooks, the whole lot of you.
I live in Manhattan and my polling location still uses the old school voting machine. You know the one where you slide the lever to the right and pull down the tabs adn then slide the lever back to the left when you have finished voting, and I think those are the most accurate and easiest to use, so I think we should go back to the olden days with the voting machines. It would cause far less problems for sure.
If this was a mistake then why didnt the voter fill in one of the other candidates…maybe because that is who the voter wanted to vote for…personnaly i think mr franken should simply “look at himself” and go back to SNL….
The vote should be counted for Coleman.
If the person tried to erase the vote or scratch it out, then the person is stupid and their vote shouldn’t count anyways.
In fact, I believe that before you’re authorized to vote that you should pass a basic exam that asks the following questions at a minimum:
1) Who is the current President / Vice President and what political party are they in?
2) Which political party controls the house and Senate?
3) Do you think that one party should control all 3 major portions of the government? (Yes or no answer both count, just want to make sure voter knows what he’s voting for).
4) How many wars is the country involved in?
5) What is the current percentage that the average American pays?
6) Are you willing to increase that percentage to meet current government spending? Or would you prefer that the government instead cut its spending on non-essential programs?
As a former Minnesotan, these commenters confirm my theory that most liberal fruitcakes have no connection to reality. Hmm…we can’t win an election, so how can we best steal it? YOu’re a moron if you can’t tell a filled in circle from an empty one. Sheesh…
Clearly a vote for Coleman. Debate over.
simply speechless
Common sense people. Is anyone actually stupid enough
to think that if they voted with a scribble, putting
an x through it would cancel their vote? If they did
not want their vote to count they would have crossed all
the names out or requested a new ballot.
Notice that there is marking in coleman and no marking in the others. Leave it to a cheater like Franken to want to deny a voter’s intention. Failed author. Failed radio host. Failed businessman. Failed political wanna be.
If you look hard enough you can see Jesus face in
there.
Democrats talk a lot about disenfranchising voters. It is ok if a vote does not favor them.
It’s obvious: the person began with an attempt to fill in the oval, then decided an “X” was appropriate. It’s equally obvious that the voter voted that ballot with passion, meaning to mark that candidate and that candidate only. Such a “flourish” in a marked ballot entry shouldn’t be questioned, only when evidence of additional ovals being marked should questions of decision be made. Mark this one for Coleman.
The obvious intent of the voter? Trying to get a job as
a spinmeister for the DNC?
Seriously Franken?! If the guy had seriously made a mistake and cared he would have requested a new ballot or at least filled in someone else’s name. This is dumb!
This is more likely to be a Coleman vote than the ones Frankin’s trying to get counted for himself where no mark at all was made in any bubble for the Senate race.
Actually, it is a picture of Mother Mary.
Three things:
Obvious “intent” for Coleman, the voter is an idiot and both parties suck.
If the dems are that desperate to win, then why
count any vote for that wasn’t for a dem? They are
cry babies that want to turn this country into a
communist/ socialist state. That’s when they will
be happy.
Hey Brainiacs the X is on the bottom the scribble is on
top, so the person put
the x first and then realized he or she should fill
in the oval….
you Minnesotans are stupid. To even think half of you wanted franken shows what communist hippies you really are. The peoples republic of minnesota. Where you all not the only state that went for mondale? You have no balls and you have no sports teams guess there is nothing to want in good old minnesota. PS your weather sux too.
Obama I can understand, not my choice, but he has the presence and sold himself to the American people. I will look to him as the leader of our country for the next 4 years.
However, as far as the MN Senate race, I am so sorry for putting the rest of the nation (world) through this Franken mess.
I am honestly embarrassed to be living in a state that would even have a man of Franken’s ‘like’ in a race for such a high office (let alone having the race this close after the general election).
When you meet one of us Minnesotans on the street and you begin to laugh, please remember that half of us are actually sane and voted to NOT elect this clown into office.
…as far as this vote, unless there is a note that specifically states ‘No vote/Ignore/None Selected’ or unless another candidate is marked, you have to conclude that the vote was for marked for the intended candidate.
- My 2 cents -
The picture of the ballot, on StarTribune.com’s home page, tells a different story.
That’s the first vote on the ballot – the voter started to mark an “X” and then caught him/her self and scribbled out the oval.. notice it’s all one continuous mark..
That’s a valid vote..
This is obviouslly a parkinson’s disease vote for coleman
What a dick head…..
I hear yet again the keening whine of a liberal who is not getting his way. Al would do well to continue to collect coke bottles from which to make himself lenses for new glasses and concede. World to Al: YOU LOST! Go back to writing porn.
Parkinson’s disease For Coleman !!!!!
This seems like a good use of tax payer money.
Seriously, doesn’t Franken have anything better to do with his time than bitch and moan about losing?
I have X’ed a circle ballot then remembered to “fully
fill in the circle” and was not worried about being
graded down for not staying in the lines. Besides
that, the pencils they give you are like Big Mo’s and
not a fine point. One vote for Coleman.
Yeah – this guy clearly wanted to vote for Franken. It is so clear…He wanted to show the vote counters that “NO WAY” do I want to vote for Coleman by xing the box and the scribbling out the x. Keeping Franken’s box pristine was to emphasize that HE was who the guy wanted to vote for. It’s so clear…Al Franken should already be sworn in. It’s also REALLY funny all the libs who cried like wankers over Bush “stealing” the election are now pining over the chance to steal this one. Liberalism is a social disease.
[...] Al Franken is challenging this ballot in the recount for the Minnesota Senate seat. Read the article here [...]
Who in the hell would vote for the tool Al Franken.
Franken loves to steal money from Childrens charities.
Stop stealing votes jackass.
This IS a definite vote for Coleman.
So the person can’t fill in an oval.
Big deal.
Al, how could you get any smaller?
I suggest we simplify elections. Dems/farmers think the 2000 election was stolen and that justifies stealing this one. OK, can we repub just plan on stealing the next election? Think of the time saved by not having to stand in line!!
OMG. How desperate is the guy to win? The voter may have changed his mind but where does Franken see that the change is to his benefit?!
Franken needs to give it up already and go hide in a hole.
Is this chad HANGING?
It isn’t like they marked any other circle, so I would say this is a Coleman vote. What is the big deal about one vote anyway, I mean Frankin got a bunch supposedly “out of the trunk of some car”
AFTER the election was over. This is great, imagine what our voting system is going to look like
when everyone takes it upon themselves to make up votes so their candidate will win! That is what wewwere looking for, so none of our votes will count!
I thought comedians want their jokes to be funny
It is what it is! When things do not go your way, stop trying to change them.
Minn, elected jesse “the body”, now Al…. what a joke that state is
If Al thinks he should get this vote he is as high as a kite.
It is clearly marked for his opposition. DUH! Al, get over yourself.
Al…..please stick to comedy, get the hell out of
politics, and just shut the f$%k up. God I hate these
liberals and their egos…….geez!
Well no matter what, I think it is pretty clear that the
voter WASN’T voting for Franken.
I wonder how many votes they’re counting when the Senate race part of the ballot is left blank? Surely they wouldn’t determine a voter intended to vote for one or the other if that area was not completed. It may just mean the voter didn’t like either one. I wonder if there’s any shadiness like that going on…like if they’re trying to determine that a voter would have intended to vote Democrat or Republican based on who they voted for to be President.
we’re all breathing toxic computer crap…
It is so obvious that the voter made a mistake and marked the wrong bubble,
he/she meant to vote for Al so they draw a line through the bubble that
points to Als bubble. Republicans need to stop trying to steal this election!
Are you kidding me? Only an idiot would not understand
this as a vote for Coleman! Grow up!
Wow,
And I thought Florida was bad. What this all means(missing/
found ballots in car trunks), no signatures, is that
your state system has some serious problems. I do hope
that all Republican/independents are watching this as
the Democrats will do anything to win, including cheating.
The guy voted for Coleman, period. I’m waiting for
more mystery ballots to turn up. By the way, you know the
Democrats feel good about the recount as they let Frankin
to to DC. Minnesota, you screwed yourself. Good luck.
Glad I don’t live there.
it’s obvious to me that this person DIDN’T want to vote
for Franken
Norm is challenging all ballots where the voter voted for both McCain and Franken, even if there is nothing at all “wrong” with the ballot. So whiich candidate is being ridiculous about the challenges?
I would say it was for Coleman, there is definitely no mark for Franken or any others.
Definitely for Coleman, no mark for Franken or other. I am sure they
intended to vote for one of them.
What’s the left afraid of now? or should I say, still. Stealing an election, or crying like a baby, again, or should I say still!
Of course, a vote for a Conservative is a mistaken vote.
People must have been confused…they wanted to vote for a clown.
Funny, but all the Democrats are saying the pictured ballot should not be counted and all the Republcans are saying it should count. This is why I vote third party. Partasan bickering is all it is. Grow up!
Funny, but all the Democrats are saying the pictured ballot should NOT count, and all the Republicans are saying it should count. Partisan bickering. Grow up!
Lets see, there are three names to choose from, and only one is marked, so that means the voter marked the one they wanted to vote for. How can anybody say thsi voter wanted to vote for anyone else? Is this liberal thinking?
Clearly a Coleman vote………honestly, how can that be challenged?
phh. Seriously? Your fries are done.
your fries are done, phh. Seriously.
There is only ONE oval marked. If two ovals were marked it would be a mistake. Common sense not taking political sides should prevail. Intent is for the coleman vote. Any idea against that is a suppression of the vote also know as vote malfeasense. Fraken is suppressing the vote for him to win.
why does this not surprise me?
sos annointed
congressman rebels against GOD, changes name, is relocated to the Twin Cities, sworn in on the Q’ran
bitter anti-Christ washed-out comedian relocated to MN by the same questionable sources and financing
I don’t blame myself or any parent – while we’ve been workin’ and bustin’ butt, the gov’t slipped in and changed the rules at school, and the media is in bed with activist judges who want to rewrite the constitution and, in some circles, engage in what is known as “displacement of trust” by pitting the young children against their parents and the very Judeo-Christian values that this great nation was built, founded and based upon.
God Bless America! But, America – wake up! Let’s throw the bums out!
Gee, the oval is marked. Looks like a vote. Is it supposed to be carefully blackened in, inside the lines? Are we to discard any imperfectly filled in ovals on all of the ballots? And what about the rest of the ballot? If one oval is not properly filled in should we discount the entire ballot? Why not? It would appear that the “voter” would be a tad confused. Why does Franken turn everything into a bad SNL skit?
The commies are trying to steal another election!!!
Lots of opinion here about the “obvious intent of
the voter” when that is unknown and cannot be
judged based on the ballot displayed. My mother is
86, blind in one eye, has arthritis and her hand shakes
when writing. I did not see her ballot, but my guess is that her marking
was worse than the ballot we see here. She knows her
intent – the small thinkers in here cannot know the
intent of the voter on display. There are too many
possible reasons for the way it looks.
That’s definetly a vote for Coleman, even a cavemen can
see that.
Since there is nothing in the ovals for the other candidates, the assumption must be that the voter was indicating a vote for Coleman. Neatness doesn’t count.
Al Franken should just be appointed to
the position because he is smarter and more caring.
Isn’t Al Franken a great big fat person?
What is the status of your “senator” now? We had an
the results were tallied and we knew by Nov 4th
This ham-handed segueway into the senate just won’t do.
I have to agree with Franken on this one, it’s not clear at all if the voter intended to vote for Coleman. It should be tossed. Why do people have trouble folloing simple directions ?
The old saying is “X marks the spot” then the
person tried to fill in the circle..clearly a
vote for Coleman
Al Franken wears a peace symbol on his lapel and yet his
campaign sign says “Born to Kill”. WHat’s that supposed to be
some kind of sick joke?
Somehow Al Franken sounded taller on radio.
My father has hand tremors and this is what it would look like if he tried to fill in a bubble.
Coleman is silly and he’s ignorant,
but he’s got guts and guts is enough.
Al Franken will break down. When the machine breaks down
WE break down. We shouldn’t allow that.
Clearly, this was a write-in vote for Nick Coleman. The intent of the voter was to make himself appear drunk enough to vote for Nick. Either that or he sneezed while he was filling in the oval.
I’ll take the Pepsi challenge
with Al Franken any old day of the week
Jame,
I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call the
brother fat. He’s Samoan, what’s he gonna do?
What’s wrong with you people????? Clearly a vote for
Franken!..I’d challenge it too!
I don’t see either of the other two bubbles marked. So it’s clear they wanted to vote for Coleman. Otherwise, one of the other circles would have been completed or the voter would have requested another ballot. What is there to challenge?
I see this all the time with my students….but with no other markes on the
page, I think any rational person knows who they are
voting for.
Somebody who has had a stroke where it affected their eyesight would leave a mark like that because they have a hard time focusing.
Franken trying to steal election
This has been by far the wierdest election
of my life. Let’s get some blueberry pancakes
Phh, I love how you clearly understand the intent of the
voter since he was sloppy. In fact, let’s just count
ALL the imperfect bubbles for Franken, wrap this up in
an evening and go out for beer. Minnesota election
officials have declared that this will no longer be a
contest of the will of the people, but of which side phh
wants to win.
You’ve got to be kidding me. I don’t even see as much as a dot in the Franken bubble.
I will bet you anything that the machine couldn’t read the Coleman bubble and rejected it, so he/she had to go back in and fill the bubble in more. That happened to me 3 times because I hadn’t filled in one of the judge’s bubbles enough in my district.
There’s a bunch of circles AND a line through that. To suggest that it may not be for Coleman is just digging at the bottom of the barrell and insulting to the average intelligence.
I lived in Minneapolis (Edina) some years ago, wonderful place to live, still have friends in the Twin Cities. But now I have to wonder just what’s up with the area’s collective intelligence? Is Al Franken taking a page from the Al Gore “Dimpled Chad” playbook? Helen Keller could tell this is a vote for Norm Coleman. Just because the markings don’t form a perfect oval is not reason to think thevote shouldn’t count. This is truly the death of common sense!
If the voter indeed had wanted to vote for someone other
than Coleman, don’t you think one of the other ovals
would have marks in it?
Duhh…
It is the only one of the three that has a mark. Count it.
If that leftist hack cheats his way in that is one thing b
because that is their way but people are defending it? I
know you want money for nothing but come on.
When a recount was started the papers in N.Texas said “Well here’s where Coleman gets the election stolen from him
That vote should count for Coleman because I have little
doubt if that ballet showed that type of mark for Franken
he would be whining to the high havens that was a vote for him.
If he succeeds in stealing this election, then Minnesota will
become the Mecca for every foul mouthed D-list celebrity
who wants to get a start in politics. Who next? Charlie Manson or
Paris Hilton for governor? May be when OJ gets out of prison
he’ll move to Minnesota and run for office. At least I think he’s
funnier than Franken at least.
Why are you people so foolish as to speculate, especially using words like “clearly” and “obvious”. I want to see the rest of the ballot. And to think, you people probably voted in the same kneejerk fashion.
podex
If people can not learn how to follow the spoken and written directions when voting, their ballot should not count, no matter what. It is not up to a re-counter to determine the intent of a voter, it is up to the voter to make it clear and concise as to who they are voting for. Personally, I had no problem taking the time to fill in the circles that I wanted, besides I could have referred to any of the 50 poll workers, my ballot or the directions I hear every year to find out how to successfully cast my vote. Get it right or don’t even bother. This re-count is such as waste of time/tax money, have we forgotten that these county/city workers are all on payroll re-counting ballots?
Al Franken, along with the democrat party in your state, is trying to steal this election.
CLEARLY this voter wanted to vote for Coleman or else he would have made a mark next to Franken.
Of course, nothing would guarantee a republican victory next election in minnesota like letting Franen display exactly how politically inept he truly is.
The choice is: an experienced leader or a washed up comedian with little talent who was responsible for some of the least funny SNL skits in the history of SNL.
Franken is a jokester and those of you who voted for him are the joke.
If the voter realized it was a mistake and then tried to “X” out the choice, the wouldn’t one of the other two choices also have a marking in it? This is clearly a vote for Coleman.
So if this was a mistaken vote, what marks indicate for whom they wished to vote for instead?
The only thing clear to me is that this person did NOT want to vote for Al Franken. Al’s circle is empty.
You nuts on the right going to have the intestinal fortitude to revolt when this nut steals the election?
Unfortunately, from the looks of the ballot, I’d say it was a Franken voter. That would explain the kindergarten scribbling (and in the wrong oval no less). Probably one of those folks that ACORN registered.
AL FRANKEN is a: Democratic-Farmer-Labor?
I think many people in MN are idiots. The proof is Al Franken getting anywhere near being elected for anything!!
I think many people in MN are simply–idiots.
The proof is Al Franken getting this many votes for
anything! You people-sadly- deserve who you get.
The only problem with hte “wasn’t voting for Coleman” theory is that the voter didn’t mark his non-Coleman choice. If he had, then you’d have a case.
If they didn’t intend to vote for Coleman, just who exactly were they trying to vote for?
I agree the voter is an idiot, but not nearly as stupid as those who perfectly filled in circles for Franken.
Suck on it, don’t bother with comebacks
Al Franken…Al Gore. Don’t see much difference. Do whatever must be done to win. He’s a hack comedian. I don’t expect any difference as a politician.
Normally, for most States, when one decides that they have made a mistake
you DRAW A LINE THROUGH THE MISTAKE AND THEN CORRECT THE VOTE.
I do not see a line through Coleman’s name and I don’t see another
vote.
There is no doubt this is a vote for Coleman.
UP Dog
Good one!
[...] this out. Click here and take a look at this one ballot in Minnesota. Minnesota, in case you don’t know, is where the Democrats are busy stealing a Senate seat. [...]
[...] of good comments on this story…479 and counting! My favorite is from UP Dog: “That’s my vote. I tried to write in Prince .” (see example) Source: Star [...]
[...] the Minneapolis Star Tribune, we can see an example of a ballot that Franken is [...]
[...] For the story, click here. [...]
Mickey – I don’t recall hearing that from you in 2000 when Florida votes were being examined
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