Coleman: Review remaining absentee ballots

Norm Coleman's lead attorney Fritz Knaak
Norm Coleman's lead attorney Fritz Knaak has asked that the remaining 12,000 rejected absentee ballots be opened.
MPR Photo/Tim Pugmire

Attorneys for Republican Norm Coleman say they will ask a three judge panel next week to review the remaining absentee ballots that were not counted in the U.S. senate race.

At issue are roughly 12,000 ballots that were rejected for various reasons by election workers.

Attorney Fritz Knaak says he doesn't believe that all 12,000 ballots were wrongly rejected.

"However, those that were, those that were rejected through no fault of the voter and conform to the laws of this state as to voting requirements, voter eligibility and voter intent, we believe those ballots must be opened," said Knaak.

Coleman attorneys estimate that well over half of the 12,000 rejected ballots should be counted, because they resemble a smaller lot of rejected absentee ballots that were allowed into the recount.

The Coleman team says it has asked the campaign for DFL candidate Al Franken to support its request to open all of the absentee ballots.

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