Coleman Files Lawsuit to Contest Minnesota Senate Recount Results

[rwilli1]

Coleman Files Lawsuit to Contest Minnesota Senate Recount Results

Coleman Files Lawsuit to Contest Minnesota Senate Recount Results
The head of Minnesota's Canvassing Board claims it properly counted the votes that gave Al Franken victory in the U.S. Senate race but Norm Coleman filed a lawsuit Tuesday to dispute the tally of hundreds of absentee ballots.
Norm Coleman said Tuesday that he has filed a lawsuit in Ramsey County Court to challenge the results of the Minnesota Senate recount.

The state Canvassing Board on Monday gave Al Franken the victory over Coleman by a 225-vote margin -- 1,212,431 votes for Franken to 1,212,206 votes for Coleman.

However, Franken was not seated Tuesday in the U.S. Senate as the certification of the race requires seven days for validation.

Coleman told reporters that the Canvassing Board wrongly double-counted some ballots for Franken and accepted 650 absentee ballots that were improperly registered.

"As of today, not every valid vote has been counted and some have been counted twice," Coleman said during an afternoon news conference.

"Under Minnesota law, there can be no valid election certificate if an election contest is filed," he said.

In response to Senate majority leader Harry Reid's call for the incumbent Republican senator to concede, Coleman said, "This race will be determined by Minnesota voters. Not by Harry Reid."

Earlier Tuesday, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, told FOX News that he has no doubt that the five-person Canvassing Board, which he led, properly counted the ballots and Minnesotans chose Franken. But he agreed that the matter can only be resolved in the courtroom.

"The state Canvassing Board looked at this and said, 'Look there is no evidence but this is a theory but it can only be determined in a court where evidence can be presented.' So if you think there are 300 more Franken votes in one county and 130 more Coleman votes in another county that has to get settled in court. So if they want to settle out that question, court is the only place they can do that," he said.

On Monday, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid's spokesman said Reid hoped Coleman would accept defeat.

[deerpoacher02]

Why can't politics be fair and the best man win.

[rwilli1]

I know what you mean.Life would be a little less hectic.