Alerted the Minnesota DFL after voting,

[mediaman007]

My wife and I had a number of concerns:

1. Inexperienced precinct workers had the crowds too close to the voting booths.

2. The change from using felt pens to ball point pens and from connecting lines to fill in the ovals, would create many spoiled ballots

3. Our ballot reader was not counting votes.

Minnesota has always had high standards for voting. This is the first time in 36 years that I don't trust the system. The Minnesota Secretary of State is responsible. I feel violated.

[KingChicken]

1. Stay vigilant, keep them on the ball.

[katinmn]

2. I hope this is not a trend

We expect problems with Kiffmeyer. She's tried to limit voters in many creative ways. I'm sorry to read your report. I am taking an Election Protection shift this afternoon at a Frogtown precinct and am a little concerned about what I might run into.

[mediaman007]

3. I am not happy with this experience.

It was the worst ever.

[Eric J in MN]

4. How could you tell that the ballot reader was not counting votes? nt

nt

[qb]

5. There is an LCD screen that indicates how many ballots have been counted.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Where I voted, the LCD incremented after I fed it the ballot (nt)

nt

[msturgis524]

7. I had a good experience

Bloomington 8th precinct 45 minute line - Counted my vote after I put it in.

[Love Bug]

8. I had a good experience, too

The lines moved quickly and it only took me about 40 minutes. I got at my polling place (12th Ward, Minneapolis) when it opened. My ballot was #150 and my sister's #151. The line at the registration table was busy. Woo-hoo!

[Eric J in MN]

9. I showed up at ten-before-7 AM, and it took 33 minutes (nt)

nt

[Zookeeper]

10. I voted in Arden Hills...

in the early afternoon. There was no wait and no one challenged the fact that I was wearing a Kerry button. I didn't actually watch the voter number change, I just noticed that it was 897 before I entered my ballot. Two hours later, Mr. Zookeeper voted and his number was 1247.

The nearby fundamentalist Baptist college was sending its students over with crib sheets (as usual). Basically, everything felt normal.

Someone else posted in this forum that his/her sister voted in New Brighton and the vote counter on the machine didn't change when she inserted her ballot.

[Nobody]

11. My precinct results are in

We got over 500 voter registrations, extremely high turnout, believe at least 80%, and the tale of the tape says

Kerry smoked Bush big time in my precinct.

The challengers were more helpful than hindrance. They brought munchies for us and one even got the second box of reg cards after we went through one entire box.

The voters seemed to be very well informed. Some mentioned researching the candidates. A lot of Kerry voters volunteered that information as I was processing their registrations.

At least one brand new US citizen registered and voted today. A proud relative asked me if it was OK to take her picture at a voting booth. Of course we said yes.

At least two people had spouses that were voting for the first time because this time they felt strongly enough to vote.

Many many stories of voters. It was a great day. Long, but well worth it.

[Carolab]

12. Yeah I had to use the ballpoint too

What was up with that? On AirAmericaRadio Randi Rhodes was talking about this, saying that the switch could result in spoilage.

I REALLY felt violated--having to stand there and meticulously fill in the oval (which was LARGER than in previous elections) so that it would appear solid.

This took a lot of time. It was RIDICULOUS!