It’s been two months since the U.S. Senate election that pitted Democrat Al Franken against incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, but it’s still impossible to say who actually won.
Entertainer Al Franken may be getting closer to one of the most hotly contested Senate seats in the U.S., potentially beating out Norm Coleman.
Their contest enters a new phase Monday when a panel of three judges begins hearing Coleman’s lawsuit over a recount that left him out in the cold. Coleman argues that ballot irregularities and improperly rejected absentees are the reasons Franken holds a narrow lead.
But legal experts say it is Coleman who faces the bigger challenge.
That’s because Franken is sitting on a state-declared 225-vote lead, giving Coleman two hills to climb.
First, his lawyers have to produce proof of the irregularities and inconsistencies that they’re alleging riddled the vote tally with fatal flaws.
Then, if they meet that burden of proof, Coleman must make up enough votes to overtake Franken. But even Coleman’s lawyers acknowledge that if the alleged mistakes are corrected Franken also would gain some votes.
