Minn. court narrows recount ballots

ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A Minnesota court has narrowed the scope of absentee ballots that can be considered in the state's U.S. Senate recount trial, attorneys say.

The three-judge panel hearing Republican Norm Coleman's challenge to Democrat Al Franken's certified 225-vote lead said Friday that most of the 19 categories of rejected absentee ballots Coleman sought to include in the recount should be tossed out, The Star Tribune newspaper in St. Paul reported.

But although the court turned down 17 of 19 types of absentee ballots, Coleman's attorneys still claimed a victory because the two remaining categories contain 3,500 of the 4,800 ballots the incumbent sought to include in the recount.

The ruling "has a very limited impact," Coleman attorney Fritz Knaak told the newspaper. "We're disappointed that all 4,800 won't be counted, but we're very pleased that the 3,500 that do remain are still there."

Analysts said that even though the ruling streamlines the number of ballots to consider, it may lengthen the trial because it requires Coleman to show that the ballots he wants counted were legally cast, not just that they were improperly rejected.