The Minnesota canvassing board ruled not to accept rejected absentee ballots in the recount between GOP incumbent U.S. Senator Norm Coleman and the former Air America talk show host, Al Franken.
Coleman is currently leading the recount by a narrow margin. This request to the board was considered a last-ditch effort by the Franken campaign to gain more ballots. Roughly 12,000 absentee ballots were rejected in Minnesota.
In the interim, both campaigns may increase the number of "challenged" ballots to try to put more votes in their column. Legal challenges are also expected by whoever loses the race after the final results are announced.
The headline calls this a "A Crippling Blow for the Franken Campaign" but with the legal challenges that are expected it won't be over until a judge makes a ruling.