The Challenged Ballot...

When Paul participated in the Great Minnesota 2008 Recount for the US Senate race between Coleman/Franken, he was in the position to challenge one ballot. This ballot had the ovals for both Franken and Coleman filled in...and it looked like it might get rejected as an over-vote (voting for more than one candidate). But there was a line through the Franken oval. At the Olmsted county recount, the Franken representative was content to let it get discarded. But Paul felt it was worth a shot contesting it--under the argument of "voter intent"--since seemingly the voter got cold feet about Franken and then switched to Coleman. The worst that could happen -- or so he thought -- was that the contested ballot would be discarded by the state canvassing board.

Today the canvassing board met...and video was streamed over the Internet by a Twin Cities newspaper. Paul watched/listened in, and started getting a bit concerned. The judges were somewhat liberal in dismissing Coleman contests of ballots (or so it would seem) and suddenly was worried that the ballot he had contested could somehow be contorted into a vote for Franken. Around 5pm the canvassing board started reviewing Olmsted county contested ballots. And there it was...the ballot Paul had contested. (Paul was partially concerned that it might be one of the ballots withdrawn by the candidates...to reduce the overall volume of contested ballots). But there it was being reviewed by the canvassing board. The board upheld the challenge, and Coleman picked up a vote!

Then the board adjourned for the day with Coleman ahead by a handful of votes. It will continue to see-saw for a while...but it was funny to see them quit for the day w/Coleman still ahead (Franken must be somewhere in Minnesota tonight angry about being denied the opportunity to claim having the lead for once in the ongoing recount).

We plan on giving a full account of Paul's recount experience--after all is said and done, but since this particular ballot was already decided by the state canvassing board, we thought it would be OK to post it now...given Paul's excitement.

Oh...and how might you ask does Paul know this was the ballot out of thousands of challenged ballots? Easy. There were only 22 ballots contested by Coleman in Olmsted county.

A screen-grab of the vote Paul contested...
...from the streaming video of the state canvassing board...
...click on it to enlarge...