Does Coleman Still Have A Chance In Minnesota?
But a three-judge panel's decision today suggests that Republican incumbent Norm Coleman may not be finished just yet.
The panel found that nearly 4,800 rejected absentee ballots may be reconsidered in the recount trial, the Star-Tribune reports.
This is not a total victory for Coleman – he had hoped to have 11,000 rejected absentee ballots reconsidered. But it is far more than the 650 ballots Franken's team wanted to looked at again.
"The 4,800 ballots on which evidence could be taken would appear to be enough to put the ultimate outcome in doubt," writes the Trib.
Coleman's team hailed the decision as a victory for the state's voters.
"This is a victory for thousands of Minnesotans whose rejected absentee ballots will now be properly reviewed in this election," said legal spokesman Ben Ginsberg.
"We've continually called for every valid vote to be counted, and counted only once," he continued. "This is a strong step in the right direction, and we applaud the decision of the court today. It is our fervent hope that the Franken campaign will finally cease their efforts to stop every valid vote from being counted."
Before the recount, when he held a slim lead, Coleman called on Franken to drop out of the race.