The Minnesota Public Radio website has posted several examples (bigger pictures here) of ballots that have been challenged in one way or another by both the Franken and Coleman campaigns respectively, and asks that you be the judge on whether the ballo...

And anyone that ever went to a public school should grasp how to fill in circles next to the right answer. Shoot I went to a private school and we took standardized tests every year that involved filling in circles.

I am not keen on the idea of dicerning voter intent. My feeling is if they didn't mark the ballot clearly enough for a reasonable person to tell who they voted for, then toss the ballot period. If you are too stupid to fill out the ballot, then whether your vote gets counted is your problem. Nobody kept you from voting.

Unfortunately for you, we have things called laws.

How's that unfortunate? Dave says that officials shouldn't be put in a position to guess, which would be alleviated by voters filling in their ballots correctly. I agree.

But, hey, I hear Beau Biden is taking his dad's seat in the Sentate. I also heard that a McCain supporter was attacked last night by an Obama supporter who cut her up.

I'm not sure what this has to do with anything.

I think that's right.

Unfortunately for you, we have things called laws. But, hey, I hear Beau Biden is taking his dad's seat in the Sentate. I also heard that a McCain supporter was attacked last night by an Obama supporter who cut her up.

A few were easy: the erasures and thumbprints. The intent was very clear; it was no doubt the technology that was impeding the vote. Also, the voter that placed a check mark and block next to the same candidate, but not in the circle. But, the rules say we should consider the totality of the ballot, so I might reconsider if the ballot showed a pattern of filling-in the circle properly.

Ballots are legal documents not sketch pads, doodle pads, or scrap paper. Election judges shouldn't be placed in the position of needing to guess at voter intent.

I think that's right.

I've had voters spoil as many as four ballots. There's no barrier other than embarrassment to doing so. Ballots are legal documents not sketch pads, doodle pads, or scrap paper. Election judges shouldn't be placed in the position of needing to guess at voter intent. There's no completely fair way to do so.

#3. I’m sorry, but if you can’t figure out that the candidates have circles by them inside the box and that there are no places to mark any candidate but Barkley outside the box, you’re too damned stupid to vote.

What if the voter was trying to convey 1 of 2 things or both:

1) The voter felt none of the candidates where worth voting for.

2) The voter intended to scribble outside the senate section in order to throw this ballot into question shoulda recount occur.

Does this make the voter stupid? Or just an asshole?