Comments on: The recount is (almost) complete; Franken camp claims four-vote lead http://minnesotaindependent.com/19305/the-recount-is-almost-complete-franken-camp-claims-four-vote-lead News. Politics. Media. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:48:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Mikey l'Rant http://minnesotaindependent.com/19305/the-recount-is-almost-complete-franken-camp-claims-four-vote-lead/comment-page-1#comment-20543 Mikey l'Rant Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:55:19 +0000 http://minnesotaindependent.com/?p=19305#comment-20543 Just a couple things that I would like to comment on. First, whiners?! Keith, I don't think that it's whining to consider that this system needs to be reviewed. You're right in saying that the system is working, but look at all of the things that have gone wrong up to this point. The faulty rejections of ballots on both sides of the ticket, the mishandling of ballots by election officials, and my personal favorite: the loss of the 133 votes by my fellow Minnesotans in the Dinkytown area. I don't think that an expectation of better practices and procedural enforcement is whining. I think that this is not only acceptable and normal, but I would expect nothing less. Second, I would like to address the additional, previously uncounted ballots. This is truly a shocker for me. It makes me wonder two things. The first being, what the hell are they using this warehouse for when not for this function? The second is this? How are they really handling our votes, because it seems to me that they were simply tossing the boxes of votes over a railing or something and let them fall where they may. I don't think that a cloud will hang over the winner, and I don't think that this is something that will threaten to divide the state into a North Minnesota and South Minnesota. But I do think that the taste that this is leaving in many peoples mouths does warrant a review and possible changes to our voting process. Just a couple things that I would like to comment on.

First, whiners?! Keith, I don’t think that it’s whining to consider that this system needs to be reviewed. You’re right in saying that the system is working, but look at all of the things that have gone wrong up to this point. The faulty rejections of ballots on both sides of the ticket, the mishandling of ballots by election officials, and my personal favorite: the loss of the 133 votes by my fellow Minnesotans in the Dinkytown area. I don’t think that an expectation of better practices and procedural enforcement is whining. I think that this is not only acceptable and normal, but I would expect nothing less.

Second, I would like to address the additional, previously uncounted ballots. This is truly a shocker for me. It makes me wonder two things. The first being, what the hell are they using this warehouse for when not for this function? The second is this? How are they really handling our votes, because it seems to me that they were simply tossing the boxes of votes over a railing or something and let them fall where they may.

I don’t think that a cloud will hang over the winner, and I don’t think that this is something that will threaten to divide the state into a North Minnesota and South Minnesota. But I do think that the taste that this is leaving in many peoples mouths does warrant a review and possible changes to our voting process.

]]> By: keith Kuckler http://minnesotaindependent.com/19305/the-recount-is-almost-complete-franken-camp-claims-four-vote-lead/comment-page-1#comment-20106 keith Kuckler Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:33:41 +0000 http://minnesotaindependent.com/?p=19305#comment-20106 i am sick and tired of all of the whiners who assert that the system is broken. it seems to me, that the system is working as it should. we will look at all of the actual ballots, and, a relatively bi-partisan, canvassing board will make a final determination on suspect ballots. the system is working, too bad it is taking a little time to finally decide the winner. unlike florida, all of the ballots will be counted and there should be no cloud over the winner, whomever it is. i am sick and tired of all of the whiners who assert that the system is broken. it seems to me, that the system is working as it should. we will look at all of the actual ballots, and, a relatively bi-partisan, canvassing board will make a final determination on suspect ballots. the system is working, too bad it is taking a little time to finally decide the winner. unlike florida, all of the ballots will be counted and there should be no cloud over the winner, whomever it is.

]]> By: Eric Ferguson http://minnesotaindependent.com/19305/the-recount-is-almost-complete-franken-camp-claims-four-vote-lead/comment-page-1#comment-20010 Eric Ferguson Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:03:48 +0000 http://minnesotaindependent.com/?p=19305#comment-20010 I'm not convinced there's a systemic problem. It seems the missing ballots are a matter of someone not following a procedure, not the procedure itself. The exceptions are the challenge procedure, which is open to abuse, and the rejection of absentee ballots. Mistakes are going to happen, so there's a hole with how disqualified voters are informed and allowed to resolve it. Otherwise, may I remind everyone that the fight in Florida was over whether there would be a recount at all, what would get counted, and what the standards would be. All those things were already established in Minnesota, plus we have all paper ballots which make recounts possible, and scanners have a much lower error rate than punchcards. I’m not convinced there’s a systemic problem. It seems the missing ballots are a matter of someone not following a procedure, not the procedure itself. The exceptions are the challenge procedure, which is open to abuse, and the rejection of absentee ballots. Mistakes are going to happen, so there’s a hole with how disqualified voters are informed and allowed to resolve it. Otherwise, may I remind everyone that the fight in Florida was over whether there would be a recount at all, what would get counted, and what the standards would be. All those things were already established in Minnesota, plus we have all paper ballots which make recounts possible, and scanners have a much lower error rate than punchcards.

]]> By: Jim Winski http://minnesotaindependent.com/19305/the-recount-is-almost-complete-franken-camp-claims-four-vote-lead/comment-page-1#comment-19994 Jim Winski Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:47:04 +0000 http://minnesotaindependent.com/?p=19305#comment-19994 Please. Whether Franken or Coleman wins, this has to highlight the poor execution of our voting systems, not only in Minnesota but in the entire country. If this does not light a fire underneath elections officials to get things resolved prior to the next election, then apathy is truly the winner. Please. Whether Franken or Coleman wins, this has to highlight the poor execution of our voting systems, not only in Minnesota but in the entire country. If this does not light a fire underneath elections officials to get things resolved prior to the next election, then apathy is truly the winner.

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