Franken, Coleman Meet With Senate Leaders

Board certifies results for Franken hours after court rejects Republican's attempt to count more ballots

(NEWSER) - Minnesota’s Canvassing Board today certified Democrat Al Franken’s victory in the US Senate race, hours after the state’s top court rejected Republican Norm Coleman’s plea to count 654 previously rejected ballots, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The defeat leaves Coleman just one option. “Today’s ruling,” a Coleman lawyer said, “ensures that an election contest is now inevitable.” More»

(NEWSER) - Al Franken may have moved a decisive step closer to the Senate today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. A three-judge panel ruled that only 400 disputed absentee ballots will be reviewed, making it highly unlikely that Norm Coleman will be able to erase Franken's 225-seat margin in the Minnesota race. Any new ballots deemed eligible will be counted April 7. After that, Coleman is expected to go to the state Supreme Court and possibly the Supreme Court itself. More»

(NEWSER) - The Minnesota recount trial is finally out of the lawyers’ hands, with both sides claiming certain victory, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Now the judges will weigh evidence provided by Norm Coleman’s and Al Franken’s teams and decide exactly which votes to count. “It’s more likely than not,” a Coleman lawyer said, that 1,360 rejected ballots are actually valid. More»

(NEWSER) - Norm Coleman expects a decision on the US Senate race in Minnesota within weeks, and hopes “they’ll do the right thing,” but has not decided whether to challenge a decision, Politico reports. “I’m not ruling it in or ruling it out,” he said. Coleman is currently behind Democratic challenger Al Franken by 225 votes in what the incumbent had called “the race that never ends.” More»

Legal process must run its course in Senate race, Gov. Pawlenty says

(NEWSER) - Minnesota officials turned down Al Franken’s request that he be certified as senator, the AP reports, just hours after his attorneys argued that a waiting period had passed for challenges. Though Franken emerged from the recount 225 votes ahead of incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, Coleman is challenging the result in court, the Hill adds. More»