Tomorrow morning when the recount in Minnesota's very close US Senate race starts the score will be "zero to zero" according to Al Franken's campaign manager Andy Barr. The State Canvassing Board today ordered the recount which is required when the margin is less than .5%. Below are videos from The UpTake as Franken's campaign argues that rejected absentee ballots should be considered and the Board decides to take some time to consider that request.
Also below, interviews with Norm Coleman's Attorney Fritz Knaak after the decision, a news conference with Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and an news conference with Al Franken's campaign manager Andy Barr.
The UpTake is doing live video coverage of the recount starting Wednesday morning.
After the jump- voters who say their absentee ballots were improperly rejected
The Franken campaign sited at least four cases where absentee ballots were improperly rejected and said they might have more examples if they were given access to the liste of people whose ballots had been rejected. The four instances named in a Franken press release are below.
The brief cites four examples of Minnesotans whose absentee ballots were improperly rejected and whose votes have wrongly gone uncounted.
Jessup Schiks (Kandiyohi County) voted absentee, but his vote was not counted because it was determined that the signature on his absentee ballot did not match his signature on file. However, Mr. Schiks has signed an affidavit confirming that his absentee ballot is his own.
Bruce Behrens (Goodhue County) lost his right to vote because local elections officials believed that his witness was not a registered voter - when, in fact, she was.
James Langland (Pennington County) voted absentee in person - but his ballot was not counted. His county auditor - who witnessed the ballot - agrees that Mr. Langland's vote should be counted, and has contacted the Secretary of State's office in an attempt to remedy the issues.
Ordell Adkins (Pennington County) had her ballot rejected because her county believed she was not a registered voter. In fact, Ms. Adkins is registered to vote, and has voted in every election since 1994. She voted absentee in 2006.