Looks like it curtains for Joe Miller.
Today's review of write-in ballots ended with Sen. Lisa Murkowski enjoying an apparently insurmountable 10,420-vote lead over Joe Miller.
Murkowski also now has collected more votes that went unchallenged by Miller ballot observers than Miller's total vote count. That makes it appear as though Miller's lawsuit to seeking to toss out misspelled votes is irrelevant, since there aren't enough of those for him to win.
Which means, of course, Miller is demanding a recount. Of every ballot, not just write-ins. By hand.
Miller's request for a hand count is a pretty big walkback from his previous assertion that he would not challenge an outright Murkowski win. Given Murkowski's lead among unchallenged ballots, a clear Murkowski victory seems likely. Murkowski's lead also renders Miller's first lawsuit, over misspelled ballots, irrelevant.
Miller has also filed a second lawsuit in an effort to acquire voter registers in certain precincts, citing multiple claims of voter fraud since election day.
And according to the Alaska Dispatch, Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto says there is still some question about the ballots that have been tallied for Miller. "The count itself is also suspect due to past problems with machine counting in Alaska," he said. "Given how close the vote totals are, Miller needs to be given the same opportunity of having all of his ballots inspected and counted by hand to ensure every vote cast for him is counted."
Alaska doesn't do recounts by hand, so there will probably be a third lawsuit from the Miller camp. Miller will have to pay for the recount, if there is one, because the vote totals aren't close enough to trigger an automatic one.