Franken presents affidavits from 62 with rejected ballots

[Bjorn Against]

Source: Star Tribune

On the eve of a key State Canvassing Board meeting on the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Al Franken presented affidavits today from 62 Minnesotans who said their absentee ballots were improperly rejected.

With Franken behind in the official Senate recount, the affidavits were the latest attempt by the campaign to increase the pressure on the board to count absentee ballots that were improperly rejected. The affidavits followed the release of a web video Wednesday by the campaign that portrayed the stories of seven Minnesotans whose ballots were improperly rejected. A campaign spokesman said the video had been viewed more than 13,000 times on YouTube in less than 24 hours.

snip

Republican supporters for U.S. Senator Norm Coleman have criticized the video, saying it was "a new low" and was a "shameless exploitation of individual Minnesotans in order to further their political agenda."

"It's acceptable that errors are made," Marc Elias, the lead recount attorney for Franken, said of the improperly rejected ballots. "It is not acceptable that that when an error is made the burden of that error falls only on the voter."



Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/35976659.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

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Does it not say a lot that the Coleman campaign considers voters asking to have their votes counted to be a "new low"? Sorry Coleman, but arguing for the disenfranchisement of voters based on clerical errors is what is truly low.

[lebkuchen]

1. Franken has his act together

I love his preparedness in getting the law on his side. He's no hand-wringer.

[amdezurik]

6. and that is what puts some folks off

When he had his show on AA anyone who started to whine about the vote but had not bothered to do their homework and just started blasting at anyone Al would cut-off. So to the ones who figured all they had to do was spout a few catch phrases and get patted on the head like Randy Rhodes does or Ed Schultz (to a much lesser extent) suddenly had to specify and detail what they were talking about. very frustrating to the passion-filled info-lacking types...

[EFerrari]

22. Funny. I don't remember it that way. Al never gave election reform

the time of day, facts or no facts.

[mcg]

9. the youtube video ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=248894&mesg_id=248894

[creeksneakers2]

33. update

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMpTmr96V5hKIfyHT4Av4jsVQgrQD951CBR81

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. thanks. k&r

[JitterbugPerfume]

3. Al Franken is a good man

and Norn Coleman is a snake . Paul Wellstones senate seat deserves better than Norn Coleman

[Dinger]

17. "Paul Wellstone's Senate Seat Deserves Better Than norm coleman"

Exactly.:patriot:

[gratuitous]

4. Coleman calls it a new low

Yes indeedy; voters expecting their votes to be tabulated and added to the total for the candidate of their choice is such a dastardly, despicable act! It's a new low. These people should be shipped off to Guantanamo and vigorously waterboarded, right Norm?

[pleah]

5. K&R for Al! I wish that other Dems would have fought

half as hard as Al has.

[BootinUp]

7. He is doing great.

Not a surprise to me after reading one of his books as he is no slouch on research. Minnesotans would be lucky to have him as their Senator.

[pleah]

29. Wish we had someone like him in Mississippi. n/t

[EFerrari]

23. His campaign is doing a WONDERFUL job. n/t

[Piewhacket]

8. GO GO AL! We're for YOU! Win it!

[chelsea0011]

10. LOL..."political agenda". Right. They don't want you Senator.

[truthisfreedom]

11. "Coleman calls voters who want their votes counted 'new low.'"

Coleman is losing the battle on all fronts.

[Hulk]

12. I can't believe they don't track down the voters and have them review their ballots ...

...if they have a question. Granted, some of them are out to lunch...."Mickey Mouse", etc; but many have simple questions that could be answered by having them revote. What am I missing here? They could do this ...or attempt to do it for EVERY ONE of the ballots in question.

[paulkienitz]

14. once you take the ballot out of its envelope, it's anonymous...

They probably can't attach the rejected ballots to their senders anymore. Nor should they be able to, since it's supposed to be a secret ballot.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. The rejected absentee ballots have not been opened so they are still attached...

.....to the voter's name and info. In other words, there is an envelope within an envelope. The ballot is rejected based on information on the exterior envelope.

[No Elephants]

28. "Mickey Mouse" may REGISTER to vote, but he never shows up at the polls to try to vote.

[dflprincess]

32. I saw a guy on T.V. whose surname is Duck and his oh-so-clever parents named him Donald

This was in a report during the ACORN flap and an explanation of why the law requires that all voter registration cards be turned in. It cannot be left the person doing the registering to decide if a card is a fake.

This poor guy says he has had problems all his life, I suppose he should be thankful his parents didn't name him Daffy.

[AlbertCat]

34. This poor guy says he has had problems all his life,

So, He can change his name. I'd damn well have done so as soon as law and age permitted. And screw the parents who named their child thus.

I mean....it's like that Eddie Izzard sketch about the Humperdincks: "What shall we name our child so he won't get the shit kicked out of him at school?" (funny though...Izzard doesn't seem to know about the 19th century Wagnerian composer Engelbert Humperdinck)

[dflprincess]

35. It can cost quite a bit to get your name legally changed

not to mention all the fun of having to change everything with your name on it.

[babsbunny]

13. Remeber how Al drove us crazy when he ignored the stolen election dilema?

Karma Al!

[Seedersandleechers]

15. WTF

Al didn't ignore anything related to that election. It's hard to go against the SC.

[NinetySix]

19. I believe babsbunny is talking about the stolen election of 2004.

Franken (whom I happen to like immensely) was in the wrong when he dismissed out of hand the patent evidence of malfeasance in Ohio. Unfortunately, while Thom Hartmann was interviewing Robert Kennedy, Jr. (among others) about the particulars of the election theft, Franken refused to investigate the matter in any depth, preferring instead to devote just enough time to the issue to shrug off Kerry's "loss" to Bush. How'd that work out?

Karma indeed.

[craiga86]

25. Stubborn

This is up there with George W. Bush and his inability to let go of his hatred for Saddam because of the planned attack on his daddy. Get over it and move on. Let's act like big boys now.

[Incitatus]

16. It's exploitation to demand people have their votes counted?

unfuckingbelievable

Republicans can burn in hell.

[ooglymoogly]

20. e x c e l l e n t.... A new high for for Franken

fight these bastards everywhere, on the battle field, in our streets, and in our homes and even the rocks they crawl under.

[Dinger]

21. Word, And

Kick:kick:

[truthisfreedom]

24. "Shameless exploitation" to let the public know that people's absentee ballots are being improperly

rejected? What? Franken is exposing a flaw in our system and giving these people a VOICE!

Exploitation means using someone to make money... how is Franken making money off this? IT COSTS HIM MONEY! He's helping these people get heard and helping their votes count... how is that exploitation?

Coleman is out of his mind not to stand up and applaud Franken's efforts to have every vote count. He looks like he wants to suppress voters and label these lost votes as insignificant! Doesn't he realize how that comes across to voters? Everyone wants their vote to count, even those who voted for Coleman! He's an idiot!

[Rhiannon12866]

26. Don't forget this video:

It hits the nail right on the head...:banghead:

New Video from Franken Camp: "My Vote"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=248894

[No Elephants]

27. Minnesota law is based upon intent of the voter. What better evidence is there of the voter's

intent than the sworn statement of the voter? GO Al!

[LaPera]

30. Does one still believe so firmly that Franken will absolutely win as written a few day ago?

I now read plenty of doubt in between the lines.

[Bjorn Against]

31. I feel better today than I did last night...

I have said in another post that the challenges are not looking as good for Franken as I initially thought, although I am still confident he will make net gains with those challenges. With the lost ballots from Minneapolis being counted, and the rejected absentees now being looked at as well however his chances are still very good. I am not as confident as I was a few days ago, but still confident.

[UrbScotty]

36. Pushing for disenfranchisement is, quite frankly, un-American. (nt)

[LaPera]

37. Pushing for for every vote cast is quite Americana and very much proper!

We've seen far too many legal votes tossed in the trashcan, voters who's votes are never counted....the republican way...should we ignore your vote as well...who else'?

Count EVERY vote.... including provisionals if they are legal and indeed they always are 99.9% of the time....so let's count them all.