Minnesota Independent

Mark Dayton leads Tom Emmer by around 9,000 votes

By Andy Birkey | 12.02.10 | 8:30 am

With DFLer Mark Dayton’s lead in the gubernatorial race hovering around 9,000 votes, Republican Tom Emmer’s campaign has increased its ballot challenges: Emmer’s 2,141 frivolous challenges, which dwarf Dayton’s 39, are now focused on Hennepin County, where election manager Rachel Smith is seeking to change counting procedures that have been slowed by the volume of Emmer’s challenges. The state GOP accused her of taking Dayton’s side in the recount.

Emmer files frivolous challenges in Hennepin County while GOP hints at election lawsuit

By Andy Birkey | 12.01.10 | 9:07 am

The second day of the Minnesota gubernatorial recount focused on two counties, Hennepin and Ramsey, where the bulk of ballots remaining to be counted exist. Hennepin County officials told reporters Tuesday that the campaign of Republican Tom Emmer was engaged in numerous frivolous challenges to ballots. Meanwhile, party chair Tony Sutton says that the Republican Party may press for a court challenge once the recount has concluded.

Anoka County found more ballots, official tells stunned court in Senate election trial

By Chris Steller | 02.05.09 | 4:55 pm

Attorneys for former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman pounced on an end-of-the-day revelation in his election contest trial Thursday: Uncounted absentee ballots were discovered by election officials only since Wednesday. The news came just before the three-judge panel adjourned for the day, in testimony from Anoka County Elections Manager Rachel Smith before a stunned courtroom.

Anoka County asks Coleman and Franken to re-try ballot review

By Chris Steller | 12.30.08 | 4:02 pm

The Anoka County Elections Department has invited the campaigns of Al Franken and U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman to return Wednesday morning for another try at reviewing uncounted absentee ballots as ordered by the Minnesota Supreme Court in the state’s Senate recount. A scheduled meeting between local officials and campaign representatives to review 35 wrongfully rejected absentee ballots broke down Tuesday morning, according to Elections Supervisor Rachel Smith, after Coleman’s camp refused to proceed — unless additional ballots not selected by county staff for counting were included.