A few observations after voting this morning:
- This is by far the nicest Election Day weather wise here in Minnesota that I can recall. Usually not a good harbinger for Republicans, but it made the walk to the polling place very pleasant.
- Voting always reminds me how nice it is to live in a state that works. Polls open on time, citizens serve as election judges, and for the most part elections go off with very few problems here.
At lunch yesterday, someone from another state asked if we were worried about having to deal with long lines on Election Day. Since Minnesotans tend to turnout in high numbers for almost every election, I had no worries in this regard.
And today proved my confidence was founded. Yes, there was a line. And yes, I had to wait to vote (around a half hour tops). But the process was very organized and the people working the polling place were competent, conspicuous, and cheerful.
- Which makes my one complaint seem a little petty. But I will air it none the less. When the polls are being set up, a little more consideration needs to be given to the concept of flow. While the layout of the facility limited options to a certain extent, there was no reason that the process had to resemble that of a Russian airport. We were required to stand in three separate lines before being able to vote. Lines that were difficult to distinguish and required you back up to enter the queue. Rather than a U-shaped flow, it was a series of intersecting zig-zags across the room. Hardly an optimal way to get voters in and out rapidly.
- My one ray of hope for today is that I noticed a lot of older people voting. Older people generally not well disposed to increasing their property taxes to pay for schools their children no longer attend. Keep hope alive.
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