Election Day is Finally Here

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The polls open at 7 o’clock Tuesday morning as the nation elects a new president, and chooses among candidates running for Congress, seats in the state legislature and numerous local elected positions.

In Minnesota, the governor’s office and the state’s US Senate seats are not the ballot, but voters will be casting votes for all of the state’s U.S. House seats, and every seat in the Minnesota Legislature. Locally, the ballot lists races for positions on the Rochester City Council, including Council President, the Olmsted County Board and the Rochester School Board.

State election officials say the most recent count of the absentee ballots cast in the election has the total at close to 570,000. That represents about 15-percent of Minnesota’s registered voters. This is the first presidential election that Minnesota voters have had the option of voting early without providing a reason.

Rochester Public Transit has announced it will be offering free rides on regular bus routes for passengers traveling to and from their polling location for the purpose of voting. Bus riders only need to inform the driver that they are going to vote or returning from voting to take advantage of the free service on regular routes. If you are unsure of where you vote, the Minnesota Secretary of State website includes a Polling Place Finder Tool.

KROC-AM will have full coverage of the election results beginning at 7 PM, with the local results reported after the polls close at 8 o’clock.

(The Associated Press Contributed to this Story)