Coleman Campaign Withdraws 650 Ballot Challenges

[CatWoman]

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A quick finish to Minnesota's U.S. Senate race seemed unlikely Thursday when the city of Minneapolis was given an open-ended extension to locate ballots counted on Election Day but have since gone missing.

About 130 ballots were not included in a recount that was due to end Friday. To help shorten the length of review for 2.9 million votes, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman withdrew 650 ballot challenges Thursday, matching an earlier gesture by Democrat Al Franken.

The campaigns have challenged more than 6,300 ballots during the recount, but both sides have acknowledged that many of the challenges lack merit. Coleman's step means both campaigns have started to cull challenges so the state's Canvassing Board won't waste time when it meets Dec. 16 to settle the recount.

By Wednesday, Coleman led by 316 votes when precinct figures from Nov. 4 and the recount were compared.

But Franken's campaign said Thursday that by its own count, the Democrat holds a tiny lead hinging on the missing ballots from a University of Minnesota-area precinct.

Franken's attorney, Marc Elias, urged Minneapolis officials to "move heaven and earth" to find them.

"The outcome of the election might be at stake," Elias said.

Coleman's attorney, Fritz Knaak, said the Franken campaign was overreacting.

"We do not know that there are any ballots missing, and it is premature and simply irresponsible to suggest that they are," Knaak said.

Minneapolis elections director Cindy Reichert said an investigation into the missing ballots so far has shown that all custody rules were followed and that she believed they would be found.

Knaak said the Coleman campaign was likely to withdraw more challenges but would prefer to do it under terms agreed upon by the Franken campaign.

Elias said both sides should be able to withdraw challenges independently, but said, "If it will help reduce challenges, I will meet with them."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/04/coleman-campaign-withdraw_n_148513.html

[TomInTib]

1. "They were rat chere behind the file cabinet, Ange."

Who's in charge, here, Barney Fife?