Franken Sees End Near in Minn. Senate Dispute

Candidates call for cancellation, cite 'massive fraud'

(NEWSER) - As protesters hit the streets, presidential candidates in Haiti banded together yesterday to demand the election be canceled, citing foul play, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Twelve of the 19 candidates are accusing the outgoing president’s party of “massive fraud.” Protesters—some peaceful, some throwing stones—marched after hundreds of voters said they were barred from voting at polling stations because their names weren’t on rolls. More»

Alaska candidate should realize it's time to quit, former senator says

(NEWSER) - Norm Coleman knows a thing or two about fighting close elections, and he has a message for Joe Miller: Give up. "I think that race is over. I think the counting’s been done. I’m not sure there’s anything that would change that," the former Minnesota senator and fellow Republican—who lost his seat to Al Franken after a 7-month battle—told C-SPAN in an interview that will air this weekend. More»

Critics say vote a transparent charade

(NEWSER) - Vote counting has barely begun in Myanmar after the country's first election in 20 years, but critics say the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Reports have been flying of foul play, the Wall Street Journal reports. President Obama criticized the elections as "fundamentally flawed" and urged the junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Hillary Clinton criticized the process as well, while Britain's foreign secretary predicted that "they will not be free, fair, or inclusive." More»

Teams of lawyers, flacks ready to roll anywhere

(NEWSER) - With races from Alaska to Nevada to Florida looking to go down to the wire and beyond, Politico reports that both parties have been readying SWAT teams of lawyers, PR people, and political operatives for quick dispatch to any number of recounts. While recounts can drag on for months, experts say the real battle—including the PR battle—is often won within the first 48 hours, and Republicans in particular are learning the lesson of Norm Coleman: “A lot of people feel that the Coleman seat was lost in the hours after Election Day, not in the days and weeks after Election Day,” says an RNC spokesman. More»

First of all, if you don't have a lawyer ready ... it's too late

(NEWSER) - With at least six Senate races too close to call, and even more in the House, at least one recount is inevitable this Election Day. In the Washington Post , Jay Weiner offers up nine lessons from the high-profile recounts of 2000 (Bush-Gore) and 2008 (Franken-Coleman):

• Lawyer up—yesterday: Al Franken had a lawyer working on recount plans a month before the election. His trial lawyer also started preparing for legal proceedings months before Coleman’s—and Franken won the trial.
• Set money aside: Coleman and Franken likely spent a combined $20 million; for Bush and Gore, the total was $17 million. Know how you’re going to pay—in advance.