Update: Voter turnout holds steady

In his left arm Neil Lahammer held his young daughter Beatrix and with his right he filled out his election ballot.

“I didn’t know voting could be such a workout,” Lahammer said as he exited the polling room at Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical this evening.

As the sun set today voter turnout held steady in Red Wing, continuing the trend from earlier in the day, according to a number of election judges.

“The day’s gone fast. When it starts at six in the morning that’s saying something,” election judge Joanne Johnson said, who worked at the Ward 4, Precinct 1 polling place at the Colvill Courtyard.

Voters at the Ward 2, Precinct 2 polling place at the Goodhue County History Center could barely find room to sit when polls opened at 7 a.m., though numbers tapered off as the day progressed, according to election judge Anne Wildenborg.

The precinct reported a turnout of 259 as of 12:30 p.m. today.

“It’s already more than we had for the primary,” said election judge Mike Miller.

Election judges at the Red Wing Public Library, the polling place for Ward 2, Precinct 1, reported nearly 100 voters as of 1 p.m. today. Lois Burnes, the precinct’s head election judge, said that turnout was “probably around average.”

“I expect it will pick up later in the day,” she said.

By 6 p.m., 637 voters had stopped by the Ward 3, Precinct 2 polling place at Southeast Tech.

Keep watching the R-E for further election coverage.

Tags: red wing, politics, elections, polling places, voters, turnout, news