Heading to the polls? Here's what you need to know

Talk about it

The end is near.

That is, for those who have had it with bombastic campaign commercials and political messages stuffing their mailboxes.

On Tuesday, all that draws to a halt at 8 p.m., when polls close.

Goodhue County Finance Director Carolyn Holmsten said election officials are expecting turnout to rival 2004, when 93 percent of the county's eligible voters went to the polls.

First-time voters should come with picture identification and proof of residence, which can be verified with a utility bill or a registered voter who can vouch for you.

Holmsten said anyone who will be away from the county Tuesday can cast an absentee ballot from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Goodhue County Government Center or at city halls in the county. Absentee ballots will also be accepted on Monday until 5 p.m.

"We're doing everything we can do to help the voters to have their vote counted," she said. "We certainly want things to go as smooth as possible."

Just who will be on the ballots? Here's a list of what area Minnesota and Wisconsin voters will have to choose from:

President

John McCain (R)

Barack Obama (D)

U.S. Senate, Minnesota

Dean Barkley (I)

Norm Coleman (R)

Al Franken (D)

U.S. House, Minnesota

John Kline (R)

Steve Sarvi (D)

U.S. House, Wisconsin

Kevin Barrett (L)

Ron Kind (D)

Paul Stark (R)

Wisconsin Senate

Sheila Harsdorf (R)

Alison Page (D)

Minnesota House District 28A

Tim Kelly (R)

Sandy Wollschlager (D)

Minnesota House District 28B

Steve Drazkowski (R)

Linda Pfeilsticker (D)

Minnesota House District 36B

Pat Garofalo (R)

Bev Topp (D)

Wisconsin Assembly 30

Sarah Bruch (D)

Kitty Rhoades (R)

Wisconsin Assembly 91

Paul Beseler (I)

Ted Burleson (L)

Chris Danou (D)

Dave Hegenbarth (R)

Goodhue County District 1

Ron Allen

Darwin Fox

Goodhue County District 3

Dan Rechtzigel

Goodhue County District 5

Ted Seifert

Tom Trulen

Red Wing mayor

John Howe

Stan Nerhaugen

Red Wing City Council Ward 1

Dan Bender

Stephen Castner

Red Wing City Council Ward 2

Lisa Bayley

Bill McKinley

Red Wing City Council Ward 3 and 4

Ralph Rauterkus

Red Wing School Board (elect four)

Steve Anderson

Mitchell Boldt

Evan Brown

Mike Christensen

David Jonas

Heidi Jones

Dennis Porter

Pete Willi

Lake City mayor

Jerry Dunbar

Andrew Webster

Lake City City Council (elect three)

Willard Bremer

Deirdre Flesche

Dawn Heitman

Wendell Noble

Andru Peters

Mark Spence

Marylou Waltman

Lake City School Board (elect four)

Dawn Balow

Karen England

Murray Hawthorne

Michael Noll

Heath Oeltjen

Debra Roschen

Cannon Falls mayor

Robby Robinson (write in)

Glenn Weibel

Cannon Falls City Council (elect three)

James Cherwinka

Phillip Hammes

Merlyce Johnson

Cannon Falls school board (elect one for term ending Jan. 3, 2011)

Cathy Banks

Cannon Falls school board (elect one for four-year term)

Bob Brintnall

Ken Haggerty

Brenda Owens

Jerry Reinardy

Goodhue Mayor

Arland Voth

Goodhue City Council (elect two)

Kerry Bien

Jerry Warren

Pine Island mayor

Kenneth Markham

Paul Perry

Pine Island City Council (elect two)

Ryan Charter

Michael Kane

Carl Krause

Lori Kubista

Jay Strande

Dean Weis

Kenyon mayor

Diane Barrett

Jeffrey Flaten

Shawn Seiter

Kenyon City Council (elect one for two-year term)

Simone Boesen

Bryan Haugen

Kenyon City Council at-large (elect two)

Richard Nielsen

Brian Paulson

Russ Thurmes

K-W School Board (elect three)

Karla Bauer

Dave Floren

Elizabeth Jackson

Doug Kyllo

Zumbrota mayor

Richard Bauer

Zumbrota City Council (elect two)

Willard Eberhart

Dale Hinderaker

Sara Nygaard

Zumbrota-Mazeppa School Board (elect three)

Brian Grudem

Michael Hammes

Peter Hinrichs

Marie Josselyn

Amber Mehrkens

David Neil

Neal Peterman

Bellechester mayor

Gary Babler

Richard Heppelmann

Bellechester City Council (elect one for two-year term)

Edith Buck

Bellechester City Council (elect two)

Jo Lynn Grenfell

Todd Majerus

Dennison mayor

Ann Laue

Dawn Olson

Dennison City Council (elect two)

Britt Olson

Daniel Storlie

Wanamingo City Council (elect two)

Ron Berg

Ryan Holmes

Wanamingo mayor

John Simonson

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