Coleman was still leading Franken in 2008, fully 7 days after the election, but democrats kept finding new ballots until finally the election was settled almost a year after the day of the election.
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Mark Zdechlik
St. Paul, Minn.
November 11, 2008 2:24 PM
Franken, Coleman continue battle in post-campaign campaign
ListenFranken, Coleman continue battle in post-campaign campaign
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Ramsey County's canvassing board met in St. Paul on Friday to certify the results of the 2008 election. Each had to sign a document certifying the results were correct.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson
It's the campaign that just won't end.
Gone are the charges and counter-charges about Norm Coleman's ties to George Bush and big business and Al Franken's off-color attempts at humor.
In their place now are dramatic allegations of election fraud and counting irregularities. After Norm Coleman moved to block the counting of about 30 ballots discovered in Hennepin County days after the polls closed, the Franken campaign accused Coleman of a shameful effort to disenfranchise Minnesotans by depriving them of their civil rights.
Vote tallies are often adjusted in excess of 1,000 votes as election officials double check their number when canvassing an election. The 2002 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota saw the vote totals for both Republican Norm Coleman and DFLer Walter Mondale adjusted by more than 50,000 votes.
MPR Graphic/Than Tibbetts
Coleman insists he won the election and has been accusing Franken of trying to influence the running tally as counties double-check their results.
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Coleman has called vote shifts "unexplained" and "improbable," even though tally changes are commonplace from election night to formal certification. Coleman currently leads Franken by 206 votes, according to unofficial election results from the Secretary of State's office.
