Minnesota Ends Search For 133 Missing Ballots

December 9, 2008 9:45 a.m. EST

St. Paul, MN (AHN) - The search for an envelope said to contain 133 missing ballots has ended in Minnesota, where election officials just completed a statewide, manual recount of votes cast in the race between Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Al Franken and Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN).

Franken had demanded an intensive search for the ballots last week. The the number of recounted ballots in Minneapolis ward 3, precinct 1 are fewer by 133 compared to the number of votes tallied during election night. Minneapolis elections director Cindy Reichert had initially said the discrepancy was the result of ballots being double-counted, but then told the Star Tribune that the ballots are missing.

The recount of over 2.9 million ballots ended Friday except in precinct 1, where officials searched for the ballots over the weekend.

The state canvassing board is expected to make a ruling about the missing ballots when it meets on Friday. The issue is by no means the only one the board has to decide on: there is still the dispute over wrongly rejected absentee ballots and challenged ballots.

A review of rejected absentee ballot began on Monday. Election officials have estimated that about 12,000 absentee ballots were rejected in the initial tallying.

They are sorting the ballots into five categories: those excluded because the voter's name and address on the return envelope doesn't match the one on the application; ballots with a fake voter's signature; voter was not registered and eligible to vote in the precinct or has not included a properly completed voter registration application; voter already voted at the election, either in person or by absentee ballot. The fifth category has ballots were not rejected for the four legal reasons specified.

Also on Monday, Franken withdrew 425 additional ballot challenges on Monday. Coleman, the former mayor of St. Paul who is seeking a second term in Congress, withdrew 650 last week.

A recount in the Senate race in Minnesota was required since Coleman led by 215 votes when election results were certified. State law requires a recount if the margin between the top two candidates for federal, state, or judicial posts is less than one-half of one percent in a general election.

A win for Franken would give Democrats a 59-vote majority in the Senate, one vote shy of the filibuster-proof majority they were hoping for.