Since the Independent candidate got 15%, then won't a runoff almost certainly go to Franken?

Does Minnesota have runoff elections in a case like this?

In Minnesota, despite managing to elect an independent as governor once, we don't particularly like third parties. So Coleman/Franken only need a plurality to win.

However, without data, I'm not entirely convinced that a vote for Barkley meant a missed vote for Franken. Coleman had plenty of people convinced that Franken was a terrible person, and I'm guessing many of the votes for Barkley were from people who disliked both of the other candidates so much that they "threw away" their vote.

No runoff, I'm afraid. Just a recount.

From a story in the 11/5/08 Mpls. StarTribune (www.startribune.com):

"With 100 percent of the 4,130 precincts reporting, Coleman had an unofficial margin of 601 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast. Recounts are required in races with a winning margin of less than one half of 1 percent.

Franken said this morning that he intends to exercise his right to a recount."

Yeah, actually I misread that about runoff versus recount. Sorry about that. So Franken still has a chance anyway if there is a recount, which as things stand there most likely will be.

A recount is required there by law.

This should be fun. That goodness for optical scan ballots - no chads. The margin is down to 571 votes - less than 0.02 %. See link below.

How did the formerly progressive state I went to college in manage to throw so many votes to Coleman and other awful tools like Michele Bachmann? Yuck.

So, apparently many voters voted for Obama but not for Franken. With Obama at 54% and Franken at 42% I'd have to think it's more likely that those Obama voters not voting for Franken would vote for Barkley instead of Coleman.

Just two years ago, Democrat Amy Klobichar blew out her Republican opponent in Minnesota's Senate race. Republicans, and Coleman especially, are even less popular now than they were then. Franken has been a target for Republican hatred going on more than a decade now so it didn't come as a surprise that he'd face a massive wave of dishonest and distorted media ads. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, fresh under Republican ownership, did everything they could to help one of the recently rated top five most corrupt Senators cross the finish line. I divided my volunteer time evenly between Obama here and driving across the state over the Mississippi to try and help Franken. While I'm greatful Obama had the night he did in WI, splitting precious time 50-50 in hindsight looks like one of the worst judgement calls I may have ever made.

Some friends wanted me to take a long weekend and go to the Mall Of America and attend the Packers-Vikings coming up soon at the Metrodome. I think I'll decline as I'm not much in the mood to spend another dime in that state for awhile. It was bad enough that voters allowed Coleman to weasel his way into Wellstone's seat a first time. No excuses for allowing him a second term. Personally, this is a bitter pill to swallow.

If Coleman is declared the final winner, his term in the Senate will be plagued by scandel. He is nothing but a whore of a very rich Iranian, Nasser Kazeminy. Kazeminy has told acquaintences as much. Kazeminy is on record as buying Coleman's clothes at Neiman Marcus. A complaint has been filed alleging that Kazeminy funneled money to Coleman's wife through a sham transaction. I think Coleman will go the way of that guy in Alaska.

Its too bad. Franken would be a good Senator and could focus on the state, not his own personal problems.

It was an incredibly ugly and negative campaign. Minnesotans tend to be ticket splitters, and while we haven't gone for a Republican presidential candidate since '72, we've had a number of Republican Senators, usually (not always) moderates. Lots of Christian folk, especially in the farming communities and exurbs who vote on abortion. Outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul and the northeastern (union) part of the state Minnesota isn't that liberal.

1. Has the official tally included provisional ballots and absentee ballots and early voter ballots? If not, what might we expect from those voters?

2. What is the atmosphere re ACORN and "voter fraud" in MN? Have there been voter "purges"? How might these be addressed in a recount?

3. Is it a hand recount, or machine recount? What was the typical voting method in MN (optical scan, touch screen, other?)

Both Norm Coleman and Michelle Bachmann? That's shocking! Whatever happened to the progressives of Minnesota?

Wellstone, Humphrey and McCarthy must be doing the Macarena in their respective graves! Didn't anyone get the college students out? I'm not sure I want WI to be a neighbor to a state that would vote like that, given its traditions.