Franken: Ballots missing in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Democratic nominee Al Franken Thursday called for an "intensive search" for missing ballots, as the recount in the Minnesota Senate race neared its end.

The Franken campaign said there is a 133-vote discrepancy in one Minneapolis precinct between the vote total on Election Day and that recorded in the recount, The Hill reported.

Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman held a 316-vote lead with 2 percent of the votes remaining to be counted by hand, the (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune said.

Marc Elias, Franken's lawyer, said everyone who might have handled the ballots in the Third Ward should be interviewed and vehicles and storage places searched.

"We are calling upon the Secretary of State, Hennepin County, and the City of Minneapolis to complete an intensive search," Elias said.

The precinct includes the University of Minneapolis and is believed to be an area where Franken, a writer and former "Saturday Night Live" star, is especially strong.