For a suburan perspective, I voted in the northwest corner of Golden Valley. Arrived at the polling place at 7:10, and got out at 7:45. I was the 225th person to vote in the precinct.
In 2000, I lived in a Minneapolis precinct including parts of Powderhorn and Central Neighborhoods. The polling place was located at Park Ave and 32nd street. At about 8:30 am, I was the 58th person to vote in that precinct (in 2000).
Inner-city turnout is definitely one of the keys to today's result. Any reports on turnout from central city precincts?
Ward 13, Precinct 5. We arrived at 8:59am to a very long line. The line was much shorter by the time we left at about 9:50am -- about a 50 minute wait.
The machine said 714 when I put my ballot in, but that seems like a rather low number for the polls having been open nearly 2 hours and for the huge turn-out that we saw there. The turn-out was large in 2000, but this was much larger.
As I left I saw a man with a MoveOn PAC sign in the church parking lot. I told him he had to be at least 100 feet away from the polling place. A discussion of disagreement ensued. Then an election judge from downtown showed up and told him he had to move. An argument ensued. I departed, leaving it to the two of them.
However, my gut tells me this guy with the sign was not a member of MoveOn, but rather a Republican trying to smear MoveOn's name. It would make no sense for MoveOn to have a sign with only their name on it and place it in a location that would be sure to draw controversy and criticism -- particularly at an election where people are hyper-aware of election laws, in a neighborhood where the vast majority of voters are Democrats anyway.
I smell a rat. There is an outside chance the man was just a loose cannon. I've contacted MoveOn PAC's national offices to get their reaction and will post anything I learn.
Chris Johnson Fulton
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