Novel snafu: Coleman witness initialed ballot application with a mouse

A lawyer for Norm Coleman called a young man to the stand Thursday afternoon whose absentee ballot, like those of six witnesses before him, was rejected because the signature on his ballot envelope didn’t match the signature on his ballot application form.

Peter DeMuth told the three-judge panel in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate election trial that he signed the envelope with a pen but initialed the application using a computer mouse.  

DeMuth, a resident of Plymouth, Minn., and a student in Fargo, N.D., said he used a digital image file of the absentee ballot application so he could submit it electronically to Hennepin County election officials. He guided his mouse over the signature line to draw his initials: “P.D.” Later when he mailed his ballot, DeMuth signed his full name with a pen on his ballot envelope.

DeMuth said he followed instructions that permit electronic submissions of the application form and directed that those who cannot sign may make a mark. Why didn’t he sign his full name? “It didn’t look like my actual signature [using a mouse], so I figured my initials would be a better marking,” he said.

Asked why he made the long drive from Fargo to testify today, DeMuth said, “Because I want my vote counted.” He said he’d been contacted by Republican Party representatives three weeks ago (who checked that he’d voted for Coleman) and last week signed an affidavit prepared by the Coleman campaign.

Under cross-examination, DeMuth said he didn’t print a copy to sign and scan “because I don’t have a printer or scanner.” He didn’t use school printers because “it costs money.”

Complexities of Minnesota’s absentee voting rules have drawn attention since the Nov. 4 election and are the subject of reform proposals at the state Capitol.

The appearances by DeMuth and another young voter provided a brief respite from the third day of testimony by Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann, who returned to the witness stand for more questions until being excused before an afternoon recess at 2:55 p.m.

UPDATE: After court adjourned Thursday, Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg cited DeMuth’s appearance as his favorite part of the day, calling it “a generational moment that my kids would kill me if I didn’t mention.” Ginsberg called the day’s last witness, Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky, the dean of elections officials in the state, and said his testimony would lay the groundwork for examining election practices around the state. 

Ginsberg said no voters would appear as witnesses Friday.