Franken leads by 48

by: Matt

Mon Dec 22, 2008 at 22:49:59 PM EST

With most ballot challenges settled, Democrat Al Franken holds a 48-vote lead over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in the U.S. Senate recount, according to a Star Tribune analysis of a draft report from the Secretary of State's office.

That is down from a 251-vote advantage that Franken had at the end of the day Friday, before the Secretary of State's office allocated votes from ballot challenges that the two sides had previously withdrawn.

The new unofficial numbers include most of the allocated votes, but not those from some unresolved ballot challenges. Nor do they include as many as 1,500 to 1,600 improperly rejected absentee ballots that are still to be dealt with. In addition, the Coleman campaign contends that about 130 ballots may have been double-counted and is seeking court action on those.

The state Canvassing Board will meet Tuesday to review the allocation of votes. - Star Tribune

The Franken campaign had predicted they would be ahead by 35-50 votes after the ballot challenges had been added back in. So not only do they have the lead, they also have shown to the press that they had a credible, realistic projection of the results, while the Coleman campaign was blowing smoke.

Update: The source for the estimate is here.