By Bill McAuliffe
When his sister's fiancee's mother suggested he ought to sign on as a judge for the recount, Petter Eriksmoen, 23, of Minneapolis, did just that. A recent graduate in political science from Concordia College in Moorhead, Eriksmoen said the chance to do some non-partisan public service appealed to him.
After helping sort and count 1,200 ballots in about four hours in Hennepin, Eriksmoen said the work had been tedious, challenging and rewarding. The experience had been "neat" and the process "transparent," he added.
Having both judges and partisans review each ballot at each table was and important balancing feature, he added.
"You have to maintain your objectivity and stay organized," he said of judging. "And you've got to care about the whole process."
