Some counties fail to report Wellstone votes

Some counties fail to report Wellstone votes
Updated: 11-20-2002 02:41:54 PM

By BRIAN BAKST
Associated Press Writer

ST. PAUL (AP) - Nine counties didn't report votes for the late Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone in time for a Canvassing Board meeting Tuesday, even though state law required it.

Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer said her office contacted officials in Beltrami, Benton, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Grant, Jackson, Mower, Pipestone and Stearns counties to request tallies for Wellstone, who was killed in a plane crash and replaced on the ballot by Walter Mondale shortly before the Nov. 5 election.

While they wouldn't affect the outcome, the Wellstone votes "are part of the historical record. Those are valid votes cast," Kiffmeyer said. She said the law doesn't carry specific consequences for county officials who withhold the information.

At the meeting, the Canvassing Board officially certified Republican Norm Coleman as the Senate race winner. He beat Mondale by almost 50,000 votes out of some 2.2 million overall. Wellstone's reported total from the other 78 counties was 11,381, presumably by people who voted for him by absentee ballot and didn't submit a new one in time.

Stearns County Auditor Randy Schreifels said Wellstone had 146 votes in the central Minnesota county, which includes St. Cloud.

Jackson County Auditor Ben Pribyl said he told Kiffmeyer's office Tuesday that Wellstone had 29 votes there. He said the votes were included in precinct-by-precinct summary sheets but weren't added together when totals were forwarded to the state.

Chippewa County Auditor Jon Clauson has since reported 23 votes, but he still doesn't believe he was required to count them. "Senator Wellstone is not able to hold office," he said.

The Canvassing Board also certified winners in other federal and state races with the exception of a few statehouse contests that were close enough to trigger automatic recounts.

Hand recounts will be conducted later this week in:

-An Albert Lea-area state Senate race where DFLer Dan Sparks topped Republican incumbent Grace Schwab by 33 votes;

-A Brainerd-area state Senate race where Republican Paul Koering unseated DFLer Don Samuelson by 143 votes;

-A Northfield-area House race where Republican Ray Cox squeaked by DFLer David Bly by 20 votes.

The board will meet again Nov. 26 to certify results in those races. If more Wellstone votes are reported between now and then, Kiffmeyer said the Senate results can be amended.

With 61.4 percent of Minnesota's voting age population casting ballots, the state had the highest turnout in the country. It was Minnesota's biggest turnout in a nonpresidential year since 1954. Chisago County was the state's best with a 73.7 percent turnout.

There were nearly 2.3 million votes cast, and 342,978 people registered on Election Day.