Franken Wins Partial Victory In Absentee Suit

A Minnesota judge has granted a request by Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken to release the names and information of voters whose absentee ballots were rejected in the initial count in the state, the AP reports. Franken, who trailed incumbent Republican Norm Coleman by just 215 votes heading into the state's mandatory recount, had requested the information in hopes of determining whether the votes were disqualified properly. The ruling applies only to one county but could set a precedent for others. The statewide recount got underway today.