The Minnesota Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit crucial to Sen. Norm Coleman’s (R) reelection fortunes, clearing a path for the Board of Canvassers to certify Al Franken (D) as the state’s next senator.

Mirroring its reasoning in a previous decision that rejected a Coleman suit on so-called “duplicate” ballots, the court said that Coleman’s bid to include an additional 650 absentee ballots in the contested Senate race was an issue best suited for the Board of Canvassers.

“Today’s ruling, which effectively disregards the votes of hundreds of Minnesotans, ensures that an election contest is now inevitable,” said Coleman attorney Fritz Knaak. “The fact that the Franken campaign now rejects the notion of every valid vote being counted so they can attempt to declare victory on the basis of a broken process, and an artificial lead built on double counting of votes should concern all Minnesotans.”

The board is expected to certify the 225-vote tally Monday, though Coleman’s campaign has vowed to file an election challenge based on claims about duplicate ballots and the additional absentee ballots Coleman wanted to have counted.

“Today, the Supreme Court once again affirmed the validity of the rules under which this recount was conducted,” said Franken lead recount attorney Marc Elias. “Minnesotans have waited a long time for a winner to be declared in this race, and today, with the last attempt to halt the counting process now having failed, Al Franken will be declared the winner.”