Politics | Senate race Franken Is 'Likely to Win' Recount: Expert Badly filled-out ballots could spell victory in Minnesota Senate race By Rob Quinn Posted Nov 18, 2008 6:47 AM CST Copied Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken, right, and his wife, Franni, vote at Central Lutheran Church Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Bumbling Democratic voters in Minnesota are likely to hand Al Franken a win, a political scientist tells the Huffington Post. The professor estimates that as many as 10,000 voters voided their ballots by circling a name or marking an X instead of filling in a circle. But Minnesota considers the "intent" of voters during recounts, and more unrecorded votes are in Democratic areas. "If someone put a gun to my head and said, 'You have to bet,' I would bet Franken," the Dartmouth University analyst said. "It won't be a wipe-out. Two hundred votes is effectively tied.” However, he said, Democrats “in this case” tend to screw up their ballots more often than Republicans. Read These Next She was born at a McDonald's, so obviously this is her nickname. Kate McKinnon shares her weird medical condition. Baltimore QB 'forgot where I was' and shoved an opposing fan. Study projects a shortfall in retirement savings in 41 states. Report an error