Analyst: Franken, Coleman May Battle Into February

[tekisui]

Source: The Raw Story

A Minnesota Supreme Court justice has predicted "an extended legal contest" in the Minnesota senate race, no matter which way the final recount between Democratic challenger Al Franken and incumbent Normal Coleman goes, and election analyst Nate Silver of 538.com agrees.

"There are any number of grounds on which you can challenge an election," Silver told MSNBC's Contessa Brewer on Monday. "So far, people have been pretty well behaved, but if Al Franken wins by 12 votes, Norm Coleman will probably sue. If the reverse is true, then Al Franken will probably sue. We may not have a senator seated until mid-January or February."

Franken is currently leading by 250 votes, but Silver believes that Coleman is likely to gain about 200 votes as challenged ballots are resolved, while Franken may get back 50 from the absentee ballots.

More, including video of Nate Silver explaining the process:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Silver_predicts_no_Minnesota_Senator_before_1222.html

[aquart]

1. Still trying to figure how it was ever that close.

[onehandle]

2. Exit polls say that a third party candidate took more votes from Franken than Coleman.

An "Independence Party" candidate took around half a million votes with no chance of winning.

His stand on issues are pseudo-libertarian. Some very liberal stands. Some right-leaning stands.

A lot of leftists fell for it.

[Mark E. Smith]

3. No surprise there

You'd think that after 8 years of George W. Nader people would
have figured this one out.

But nooooo.

[aquart]

6. They always do, the purists.

[depakid]

8. Time to send in the...

Dean Barkley could just as easily have taken more votes from Coleman- ans as some Minnesotans have pointed out, Franken didn't exactly run the greatest campaign.

[gratuitous]

4. Nonsense

If this isn't settled by the new year, the Senate itself will choose who to seat. They are the ultimate authority for who gets a seat in their chamber, and if a certified count has been reached (particularly in Franken's favor), they will vote to seat the winner.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. That's what I'm thinking.

The Senate will seat the winner if he is ahead in the certified count INCLUDING the absentee ballots. Fuck Coleman and his attempts to toss valid ballots.

[davidpdx]

7. Which means the US Senate will be at 98

Because Illinois still has a vacancy until the whole thing with Gov B is resolved. What a mess!