What’s happening in Minnesota? part 6

Norm Coleman retains a 206-vote margin over Al Franken in the race for Minnesota’s senate seat. The mandatory recount will begin next week.

Two of our readers who served as election judges in Hennepin County (Minneapolis and suburbs) have reported that election results were not transmitted electronically from precincts on election night. Rather, results were transported by car to City Hall. This departs from the customary procedure in Hennepin County.

Under the circumstances, it seems important to determine under what instructions and conditions results were transmitted to City Hall. Our reader comments:

The State invested in voting machines with modems to transmit results. For whatever reason they chose not to follow that procedure. Why that decision was made, how it was communicated, the time line involved, and the actions of the judges all need to be questioned. It appears there was plenty of confusion, and the actions of those involved should be reviewed prior to any recount starting.

If the accounts we have received are accurate, someone in a position to do so should demand the answers to these questions.

JOHN adds: So far, we haven’t been able to verify that the automatic electronic upload system was working anywhere in Minnesota. Based on published accounts, it couldn’t have been working in either Mountain Iron or Partridge Township. Is speaks poorly of our Secretary of State that he inherited this high-tech system from his predecessor, and then failed to have it working for the election.

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