Daily Digest: Time to vote
Good morning, and welcome to Election Day. Don't forget to vote if you haven't yet, and tune in tonight to MPR News on the radio and online for all the results. Here's the Digest.
1. More than a half-million Minnesotans have already voted. Outside an early voting site in St. Paul Monday, it wasn't easy to find a parking spot. Inside, a steady stream of people waited briefly for their turn at a couple of dozen polling stations before they could fill out an absentee ballot on the spot. It’s been like this for weeks, including Sunday when 750 voters came through in a matter of four hours. “The line was long enough that the wait time from the end of the line to our counter was 25 minutes. That tells you the kind of interest there is,” said Ramsey County elections manager Joe Mansky. With one eye on the weather forecast and another on the campaign finish line, Vicki Frascone added her ballot to the more than half-million others that have come already in Minnesota during this midterm election, a torrid pace rivaling the last presidential election. “I’m tired of the ads, the slamming on the radio, the TV, everywhere,” she said. “I just want it done. Why can’t they run a nice campaign, go on their issues instead of the backstabbing and picking everybody apart for the bad things that they allegedly, supposedly did?” Come Wednesday, the airwaves will be clear of the ominous spots that have been jamming the airwaves. (MPR News)
2. Have you really not been paying attention? It's OK. Here's the guide to same-day registration and the answers to other questions you may have about the basics. (MPR News) And here's where the candidates in the big races come down on the issues. (MPR News)
3. Need a ride? Here's how. It costs you no money to cast a ballot if you're eligible to vote. But getting to your polling place isn't always free. Many, mostly urban, Minnesotans can benefit from a cheaper ride on Election Day. From public transportation to electric scooters, here's a rundown of free or reduced-cost rides to polls on Tuesday. (MPR News)
4. State gets ready for someone to take over from Dayton. One thing is for certain Tuesday: a new Minnesota governor will be elected. And that governor-elect will need a website — an official state website — to begin communicating with the public. So the state of Minnesota has built two websites, one for Democrat Tim Walz and one for Republican Jeff Johnson. Both are vying to succeed Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat who’s not running for re-election. Only one website will go actually go live on the web, perhaps as soon as Wednesday. The other will become an artifact of online historical trivia. (Pioneer Press)
5. Man charged for punching candidate. Prosecutors have charged a central Minnesota man with punching a legislative candidate in the face during a talk about politics. Fifty-three-year-old Richard Donald Schmit of Foley is charged with one felony count of third-degree assault and two misdemeanor counts of fifth-degree assault. Republican House candidate Shane Mekeland reported he was assaulted the night of Oct. 12. According to the complaint, Mekeland was sitting on a barstool at a bar talking with Schmit about politics. The complaint alleges during the talk, Schmit punched Mekeland after the candidate made comments about the middle class. Mekeland fell backward. The St. Cloud Times reports he told police he hit his head on the floor and passed out. (AP)
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