2736606934_eaa79401bdKing Banaian will not take the stand at the U.S. Senate contest. Norm Coleman’s legal team had sought to have the St. Cloud State University professor and conservative blogger testify that differences in the number of rejected absentee ballots in various counties could not be explained by chance. But Al Franken’s lawyers objected to the inclusion of Banaian as a witness, and in an order issued this evening the three-judge panel overseeing the contest rejected his potential testimony.

“The only question that can be decided in an election contest is which party received the highest number of legally cast votes, and therefore is entitled to receive the certificate of election, ” the order notes. “The court does not believe Banaian’s testimony would assist in determining the issues properly before it.”