New Alaska Numbers: Begich is up by 1,061

[Bumblebee]

Source: Alaska Elections Office

US SENATOR
Total
Number of Precincts 438
Precincts Reporting 438 100.0 %
Times Counted 293995/495731 59.3 %
Total Votes 290122
Begich, Mark DEM 137527 47.40%
Bird, Bob AI 11933 4.11%
Gianoutsos, Ted NA 1218 0.42%
Haase, Fredrick D. LIB 2215 0.76%
Stevens, Ted REP 136466 47.04%
Write-in Votes 763 0.26%

Read more: http://soaelections.gci.net/data/results.htm

[Fluffdaddy]

1. Yes!!! Doing the happy dance

[XemaSab]

2. I like!

[NewJeffCT]

3. Nice - and if the margin goes up only 0.15% more

no recount.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. At least no recount funded by the state, right?

[Taverner]

5. How many votes is that?

[Bonn1997]

11. Maybe around 450 to 475

since it looks like the total vote count will be a little over 300,000

[populistdriven]

14. Yep, Begich mentioned to Rachel that the magic number was 1500 votes

Here is the video
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27707908#277079...

[Bumblebee]

17. From what I've read -- these do not even include Anchorage which will be

done early next week.

[Bonn1997]

25. I'm not that worried about a recount

if the margin stays at +1000 votes (or more likely, increases). The Republicans won't be able to get away with BS. No one will believe them if they claim that 1000 new votes for Stevens magically appeared in a recount.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. So when will the winner be declared?

[Skink]

7. How's Palin going to be appointed to the senate now?

[Initech]

13. By a group of hockey moms and Joe Sixpack! You betcha!

[longship]

8. Buh-Bye Senator Stevens

Hope you enjoy your cell at Leavenworth.





Recommended and ed.

[fascisthunter]

9. sorry right wing... sorry Palin

[Fluffdaddy]

28. very nice

[4_Legs_Good]

10. Nice!

They have insane recount laws in Alaska, if what I heard on NPR the other day is true. They essentially have to be tied to have a mandated recount, though I think they can pay for it themselves if it's pretty close.

I don't remember the recount gap, though. Maybe it was 0.5%...

David

[Initech]

12. Show Ted to the series of tubes.

[ColbertWatcher]

15. I found this on fark ...

[davidinalameda]

20. it would be Stevens, the rats and the tourists

if he ended up at Alcatraz

[ColbertWatcher]

22. ... and they would all have their own cube! n/t

[davidinalameda]

29. in a fight between the rats and Stevens

I'm not sure who I'd bet on

[ColbertWatcher]

36. Pfft. I'd bet on the rats, with no hesitation. n/t

[4_Legs_Good]

30. LOL. That's too awesome!

Heh heh heh

David

[BrklynLiberal]

16. Zippedy Doo-Dah

[AlinPA]

19. Zippedy Yea, my o my what a wonderful day.

[David__77]

18. First Democratis Alaska senator elected since 1974.

Great news!

[struggle4progress]

21. Still More Signs That Stevens Is Going Down (TPM)

By Eric Kleefeld - November 14, 2008, 12:51PM

... The Anchorage Daily News analyzed the remaining 41,000 ballots left to be counted in this truly bizarre and drawn-out contest, and the numbers are very promising for Democratic challenger Mark Begich. It turns out that 56% of the remaining votes are from areas that Begich has carried in the votes already counted.

If those absentee votes go roughly the same as the rest of the ballots from those areas, Begich's current 814-vote lead could extend by as much as four-thousand votes -- enough to put him beyond the margin that would require a recount. There's even a chance that they could be more for Begich than the rest of the ballots, too, as his campaign actively pursued an early-vote strategy ...

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11...

[Cirque du So-What]

23. Maybe someone has a good explanation

for why it's taking sofa king long to count these votes?! There are only 670,000 people in the whole state, f'cryin' out loud!

[Historic NY]

27. Maybe its because they....

have their gloves on because their fingers are cold.

[harpboy_ak]

38. It's all due to mailing deadlines

Absentee ballots must be postmarked by election day. Ballots mailed in the US must be in by 10 days after the election; those mailed from overseas have 15 days. All absentee, challenged, and early voting ballots must be checked against the signatures on the precinct rolls to ensure that people don't vote twice (as 27 voters apparently did in the August primary).

Many remote precincts in Alaska only get a mail plane once a week, so it could take up to a week for the precinct roll books with signatures to make it from remote villages to the regional election offices in Nome, Fairbanks, Anchorage, or Juneau.

This slow count was anticipated by the Begich campaign, which strongly encouraged early and absentee voting. Mark told Rachel Maddow yesterday that his own abasentee ballot won't be counted until Monday.

[shadowknows69]

24. SaaaWEEEET!!!!

Buh bye Ted and so sorry you won't be in the Senate Sarah, get comfortable with obscurity. Ok, I know, counting chickens. I'm catiously optimistic.

[ksimons]

26. I like the 4% that voted for an Alaskan Independent Party candidate

Sure says good things about Alaska, don't it?

[struggle4progress]

31. Latest election results show Begich over Stevens by 1,022 votes (KTUU)

by Channel 2 News staff
Friday, November 14, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- ... The latest results were reported at about 4 p.m. Friday, as elections workers continued to count the remaining ballots. Additional results were expected by 5 p.m. ...

The Division of Elections expects to be completely finished counting ballots from the Anchorage area and the Juneau, Kenai and Kodiak district next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Nearly 16,000 absentee and questioned ballots from Anchorage need to be counted. There will also be another 8,300 ballots in the Juneau, Kenai and Kodiak district to be counted.

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9353677&nav=menu...

[struggle4progress]

32. Alaska Senate: Begich Widens Lead Slightly

... The Alaska Division of Elections counted another 14,500 votes on Friday and Begich's lead increased from 841 before the day started to 1,022 when the counting ended.

That means that Begich has gained more than 4,200 votes on Stevens since the 90,000 early, absentee and questioned ballots began to be counted on Wednesday. There are roughly 24,000 votes left to be counted, and the counting will resume, and presumably conclude, early next week, according to the Begich campaign.

Of the remaining votes, roughly 15,000 are in the Anchorage area (a swing area in the race) and another 8,000 are in the Juneau area, which should be Begich territory ...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/11/alaska_...

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[yellowcanine]

34. Looks like we may indeed get Alaska. I wish I felt better about Minnesota and Georgia.

I do think we probably have enough senators already to break filibusters on SCOTUS appointments though. I see at least Collins, Snowe and probably Specter voting for cloture in that situation.

[Codeine]

35. MN is entirely possible.

GA is probably wishful thinking, however. It really doesn't matter - we still have a huge working margin, and the 'Pukes can't use the filibuster unless the issue is big and hairy enough to warrant risking the backlash. Obama and the Dems in the Senate have the wind at their backs and a solid mandate. Let's not get hung up over one seat.

[truthisfreedom]

37. I'm with you. I'm certain Al Franken will win it. I'm joining him tomorrow at a fundraiser to make

sure all of the votes are counted! Please contribute!

http://alfranken.com/content/splash_recount