Minnesota recount ends 2008, starts 2009

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's campaign asked the state Supreme Court Wednesday to require a review of all absentee ballots that may have been wrongly rejected.

The Republican incumbent's camp asked in its petition that those ballots be examined by state and campaign officials to assure consistency in how they are handled, the Star Tribune reported. The court had yet to rule on the request.

Coleman trails Democratic challenger Al Franken by about 50 votes out of nearly 3 million cast in the Nov. 4 election. Coleman had led Franken by more than 200 votes after the initial count, which triggered an automatic recount.

At issue now are 1,346 ballots that county officials across Minnesota began reviewing Tuesday, plus hundreds more rejected absentee ballots, the Minneapolis newspaper said.

"We're talking about enfranchising people and bringing in ballots that were wrongly excluded," Coleman campaign attorney Fritz Knaak said at a news conference. "I heard it a hundred times from the Franken campaign until last Saturday, when they dropped the rope."

The Secretary of State's office said it has been "working closely" with the two campaigns and local election officials to implement an earlier Supreme Court's order to count wrongly rejected absentee ballots by Jan. 4.

Officials in several Minnesota counties had resumed their review of unopened absentee ballots.

In Washington, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said it "appears" the state Canvassing Board would certify Franken, a former Saturday Night Live writer and performer, as the winner.

Minnesota's other U.S. senator, Democrat Amy Klobuchar, said if the Canvassing Board declares a winner Monday, the Senate should "consider seating that person pending litigation."

Senate GOP members indicated they would try to block any effort by Democrats to seat Franken before all legal matters in the recount are settled, the Star Tribune said.

Under Minnesota law, the governor and secretary of state can issue a certificate of election officially declaring a winner only after any legal challenges are resolved.