Minnesota Recount Blog

Observation Report - Review of Improperly Rejected Absentee Ballots in Hennepin County, Dec. 31st, 7:19PM

Submitted by mark on Wed, 12/31/2008 - 19:29

A total of 329 improperly rejected absentee ballots will be reviewed by in Hennepin Co. The observer was present for the review of 77 ballots from 3 cities - Bloomington (38), Brooklyn Center (2) and Brooklyn Park (37). Of these, 56 ballots were accepted and 21 were rejected.

Observation Report - Review of Improperly Rejected Absentee Ballots in Ramsey County, Dec. 31st, 6:45PM

Submitted by mark on Wed, 12/31/2008 - 18:52

One hundred and thirty-three improperly rejected absentee ballots were reviewed today in Ramsey County. Around 50 ballots were rejected by both parties for various reasons. The observer reports that 37 absentee ballots were rejected because local election judges failed to give voters the proper materials so that they could register to vote and that approximately 25 occurred in New Brighton.

MN Recount Report - Rejected Absentee Ballot Sorting: Renville, December 18th, 2:18pm

Submitted by sarah on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 14:38

The observers traveled to Renville County on December 16, 2008 to observe the sorting of the rejected absentee ballots for the U.S. Senate race. Everyone present was able to get close enough to view the ballots. Six out of 27 ballots will be sent to the Canvassing Board for acceptance consideration. Here are the observers' significant observations:

MN Recount Report - Rejected Absentee Ballot Sorting: Robbinsdale (Hennepin), December 11th, 4:28pm

Submitted by sarah on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 16:26

The observer reports that Robbinsdale will send five rejected absentee ballots to the State Canvassing board for acceptance consideration. They had a total of 36 rejected absentee ballots.

Press Release, 5:10PM Dec.10th: Non-Partisan Coalition Calls for a count of all properly cast ballots

Submitted by mark on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 17:18

The League of Women Voters Minnesota (LWVMN), Common Cause Minnesota, and Citizens for Election Integrity Minnesota (CEIMN) Non-Partisan Coalition ("the Non Partisan Coalition") calls for Minnesota's election officials to count every properly cast ballot in the 2008 election. All absentee ballots rejected in error must be included in the final vote tally to ensure the accuracy of the outcome.

MN Recount Report - Rejected Absentee Ballot Sorting: Brooklyn Center Update, December 10th, 2:28pm

Submitted by sarah on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 14:26

It was reported by CEI on Monday that Brooklyn Center will send two rejected absentee ballots to the State Canvassing Board for acceptance consideration. Here's the reason behind one of these ballots (we are tracking down further information for the second one): The county sent the wrong envelope for a voter's absentee ballot. Not knowing this was a mistake, he used the envelope for his absentee ballot. Election judges rejected his ballot on election day because it was in the wrong type of envelope.

MN Recount Report - Rejected Absentee Ballot Sorting: Dakota, December 10th, 8:34am

Submitted by sarah on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 08:37

The observer reported yesterday that Dakota will send just over 100 rejected absentee ballots to the State Canvassing Board for possible acceptance. 51 of those ballots were from Burnsville.

They sorted a total of about 800 ballots yesterday. They are about two-thirds finished with the sorting - they will resume sorting the rest of the rejected absentee ballots on Thursday.

MN Recount Report - Rejected Absentee Ballot Sorting: Brooklyn Center, December 8th, 4:50pm

Submitted by mark on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 16:57

The observer reports that 37 ballots remain rejected. However, 2 ballots will go to the State Canvass Board for possible acceptance. The most common reason ballots were rejected was because the signature was missing on the ballot or envelope.

MN Recount Report: Minneapolis Update, December 5th, 3:59pm

Submitted by mark on Fri, 12/05/2008 - 16:03

CEIMN Director, Mark Halvorson, and CEIMN Project Coordinator, Sarah Martyn Crowell, observed and videotaped today's search at the Minneapolis Election's Warehouse for the 133 missing ballots from Minneapolis Ward 3 Precinct 1.

MN Recount Report: Minneapolis, December 4th, 2:49PM

Submitted by mark on Thu, 12/04/2008 - 14:50

As has been reported in the local media, the reason given for the 133 unaccounted ballots yesterday - that write in ballots were fed through the optical scanner twice - does not appear to be accurate. Minneapolis elections director, Cindy Reichert and her staff are currently trying to sort out the situation. CEIMN staff, Sarah Martyn Crowell, who went to the Mpls elections office just reported there is no further information available at this time.

Reports from non-partisan observers