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I don’t know what to say, if we can’t agree how to count votes, and how to conduct a recount of votes in a close election. It seems odd to me that the fight is over which votes can legally be counted.

I wish that there were a provision for holding a new election in our laws. Since the recount will hinge on legalities, the losing side will feel that they were cheated. I wish they could declare that this election was so close that the winner can’t be determined, and then have another election.

Minnesota's laws about which absentee ballots are validly cast and which ones are not are extremely clear. Coleman's team is trying to get as many ballots counted in order to give them the best chance at overcoming Franken's lead. They've also realized that their own stupidity in agreeing to open scores of ballots that were not legally cast was a mistake; whether that was becaues of an informal agreement with Franken's team to open these types of ballots or their own incompetence in not complying with state law, I don't know.

I don't think holding new elections is the way to go. Just need to come up with better recount procedures, which I'm sure will happen in Minnesota after this experience.