Barrett (left) has been fined for a campaign flyer containing a blatant lie about Olseen (right). Barrett won November's election by 400 votes.

Last November, Republican Bob Barrett squared off against former DFL state Sen. Rick Olseen in a tight contest for a newly created Lindstrom-area Senate seat.

SEE ALSO: Former MNGOP Rep. Keith Downey listed dead guys as supporters in ad [IMAGE]

In the days leading up to the election, Barrett mailed out a flyer containing a blatant and easily fact-checkable lie about Olseen. Barrett went on to win the election by 400 votes. But earlier this month, the state's Office of Administrative Hearings fined Barrett $1,000 for the flyer, raising questions as to whether he would've won the election had he played by the rules.

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If Franken goes up against the always well-funded Bachmann in 2014, he'll need all the dough he can get.

There really is no political offseason anymore.

SEE ALSO: Al Franken concerned about Obama's authority to kill Americans deemed to be terrorists

Just over three months removed from our last regularly scheduled election, Al Franken is already asking you to kick in some dough for his 2014 reelection campaign.

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Image by Tatiana Craine

Was the "discussion" generated by the marriage amendment worth $18 million?

In May 2011, the MNGOP-controlled legislature voted to put a same-sex marriage amendment before voters. As we all know, after a bruising campaign, the amendment was defeated last November.

SEE ALSO: Marriage amendment means it's a great time to be in Minnesota's media business

According to the latest campaign finance reports, during that 18 month period, a total of $18 million was spent by individuals and organizations on either side of the issue. In other words, a cool million was spent each month, with the result being that Minnesota law is the same as it was before (for now, at least).

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twodolla on Flickr

Turns out, walleyes have no interest in voting.

On election day, not a single ballot was cast in Minneapolis' Ward 10, Precinct 3B.

But before you call the Election Integrity Watch to report voter fraud, understand this: If you wanted to take a poll of the living things in 3B, you'd need scuba gear.

SEE ALSO: Lake Calhoun: The most racist lake in Minnesota?

That's because the entirety of 3B is on the east side of Lake Calhoun. And since fish can't vote, no ballots were cast.

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City of Spring Park

John Ericson (pictured) died November 3, but still defeated Elgah Trask (upper left) by a more than two-to-one margin.

Last week, we told you about Denny Hanson's sentimental election as Rochester's City Council president five months after he died.

SEE ALSO: MNGOP Rep. Keith Downey lists dead guys as supporters in newspaper ad (and loses election last week)

Turns out he wasn't the only dead guy elected to city office in Minnesota this campaign cycle. In Spring Park -- a town tucked in the middle of Lake Minnetonka -- voters elected John Ericson for city council three days after his unexpected death.

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Bachmann spent more than seven times more than Graves... and still barely eked out a win.

Assuming you live in the 6th District, would you vote for Michele Bachmann in exchange for $65?

SEE ALSO:
-- Michele Bachmann's reelection: She's as resilient as a cockroach during a carpet bombing
-- Jim Graves is a "robot," new Michele Bachmann ad alleges [VIDEO]

Regardless of how you answer that question, the fact of the matter is Bachmann's more than $11 million campaign, combined with the fact she won 179,241 votes, means she $65.19 on each and every one of 'em -- and she still only won by 4,207 (the percentage split was 50.59 to 49.41).

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Parrish on the election results: "Last night was so bad Gauthier could have won in Duluth."

Andy Parrish, deputy campaign manager for Minnesota for Marriage -- the leading group pushing the defeated Minnesota marriage amendment -- is apparently having a hard time accepting that a majority of Minnesotans don't want to enshrine a same-sex marriage prohibition into the state constitution.

SEE ALSO:
-- Watch the moment MN United found out they beat the marriage amendment [VIDEO]
-- Andy Parrish says war hero Rep. John Kriesel is a 'pretend Republican,' "all about John K"

Last night, Parrish took to Twitter and pointed out a fact that is apparently reassuring him while he mourns the marriage amendment's defeat -- that a vast majority of Minnesota counties supported the Vote Yes cause.

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Rep. Kahn's hyperbole rankled Minneapolis officials.

Minneapolis officials have demanded an apology from Democratic state Rep. Phyllis Kahn for a remark she made on election day.

SEE ALSO: Phyllis Kahn compares R.T. Rybak's stadium flip-flop to Nixon's views on communism

Kahn, frustrated about long voting lines in the Seward neighborhood that had some voters waiting in the rain for hours, told the Star Tribune: "I don't believe in the death penalty, but someone at the city should be executed."

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ocean yamaha

Did you find love on the ballot?

Presidential elections only happen once every four years, and that means getting exposed to a whole new potential dating pool group of people at the polls. There's just something about exercising our civic duty that gets us all hot and bothered, but we prefer stuffing our faces with junk food and watching exit polls after voting... not a date.

However, a quick trip to Craigslist's Missed Connections reminds us that sometimes Cupid's arrow hits in the strangest places. From cool moms to helpful volunteers, we compiled some of our favorite folks that just wanted a chance to stuff those ballots together on Tuesday if you catch our drift.

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Chris Kluwe talks election results with City Pages.

Now that the election is finally over, we checked back with Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, the subject of our October 24 cover story, "Game Changer," to get his thoughts on the results.

In the weeks leading up to November 6, Kluwe became arguably the most interesting part of the battle over a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota, making national headlines for his aggressive defense of gay rights. As we reported in the feature story, many believed Kluwe reached an audience that otherwise paid little or no attention to the race, and could be the difference in what turned out to be a nail-biter until the bitter end.

SEE ALSO:
COVER: Game Changer
Watch the moment MN United defeated the marriage amendment

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