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.
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November 19th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
[…] votes as he can Franken has taken to challenging ballots, suggesting some shouldn’t count. Here is one such ballot he has decided to […]
November 19th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Looks to me like someone started to make an X but then changed their mind and crossed it out.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
ROFL! Franken, the clown, would be laughed out of my state!
November 19th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
[…] 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: […]
November 19th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Why not just call him and ask. Could not they check the ballot with a name?
Craig
November 19th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
[…] 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. […]
November 19th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Let’s have the Secretary of State’s office to publish PDF scans of each and every challenged ballot.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
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.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
My guess? Marked the bubble with an X first. Then realized he/she should probably fill it in a little more.
Duh.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Palm Beach County would’ve counted that as two votes for Gore in 2000 …..