RECOUNT UPDATE: COLEMAN LEAD DOWN TO 50 VOTES
By our count, the margin stands at 50 votes as of the end of last night’s counting with roughly 200,000 ballots left to be counted. Why is this number different from the Secretary of State’s number? The Secretary of State’s number takes every challenged ballot out of a candidate’s count and adds it to the challenge pile. In other words, the Secretary of State’s number assumes that every challenge is meritorious. It is clear from looking at some of these challenges that this is not the case. Our number, on the other hand, relies on the call of the election judge at the table – before anyone challenges the ballot. So, if the judge calls it for Franken, we say it’s a Franken ballot. Likewise, if the judge calls it for Coleman, we treat it as a Coleman ballot – even if we have challenged it.

Read more after the jump…

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This race is the closest Senate race in Minnesota history and the closest race anywhere in the country this year. With 2.9 million votes cast, there’s a margin of roughly 400 votes. It’s too close to call, and we don’t know yet who won.

Here’s where we are now: Right now, each of Minnesota’s 87 counties are conducting a review of the election results. By November 11, all of the county canvassing boards will have certified the election results. By November 18, the State Canvassing Board will certify the election results.

Once that happens, the Minnesota Secretary of State will begin the recount, which will probably take several weeks. The recount is triggered automatically when races are this close to make sure we determine the outcome with certainty. (An automatic recount is triggered by a margin of .5% of the vote ­ right now, the margin in our race is only .01%.) The recount will be orderly, fair, and conducted with one goal: To ensure that every vote is properly counted. We may have to wait a little while to learn who won the election, but we will know that the voice of the electorate was clearly heard.

Read the full post, including answers to some of the common questions we’ve been getting, after the jump…

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AUDIO: OBAMA URGES MINNESOTANS TO SEND AL FRANKEN TO WASHINGTON

In Latest Boost For Franken Campaign, Barack Obama Asks Minnesotans To Send Him A Partner For Change: Al Franken

SAINT PAUL [11/03/08] - In a unexpected appearance on WCCO Radio’s Don Shelby Show, Senator Barack Obama today made another pitch for DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken, urging Minnesotans to send him a partner for change.

Senator Obama told listeners :

“I will say that your candidate in Minnesota, Al Franken, is going to be an important part of a coalition that brings about change. He’s really, I think, in this to fight for working families. I’m looking forward to seeing him serve in the Senate.

“And if people are looking for fundamental change over the next eight years, then I think an Obama-Biden ticket, Al Franken in the Senate, is going to be the best answer for working families all across the state.”

You can download an audio file of the segment here:
Download File

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After an evening rally at Winona State University, Al spent Thursday with Congressman Tim Walz, Sen. Tarryl Clark and former Congressman Rick Nolan from the Obama campaign, barnstorming southern Minnesota to encourage DFL volunteers to work hard to Get-Out-The-Vote.

They started the day at a GOTV pancake breakfast in Rochester, flipping pancakes and encouraging folks to spend the next five days working hard to elect Barack Obama and the rest of the DFL ticket.

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This week, the Timberjay called for electing a Senator who will work with Barack Obama to bring change to Washington ­- Al Franken.

From their editorial:

Barack Obama promises change from an administration that has left the country reeling from an economic crisis, squandered thousands of lives and billions of dollars on an ill-conceived war in Iraq, and shredded Constitutional protections.

But if elected, Obama will need a supportive Congress to achieve meaningful reform. That means voters should not only replace Bush, but also remove those who enabled his administration.

Read more after the jump…
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