Secretary of State reflects on record caucus turnout
(AP) - The Secretary of State is estimating that one in 10 eligible Minnesota voters participated in last night's caucuses.
Secretary Mark Ritchie says turnout was better than in some primaries and it was strong statewide.
Many caucuses in the state ran out of parking spots, chairs and ballots, and some people expressed frustration at the chaotic atmosphere at some of the caucus spots.
The Democrats were on course for a turnout above 200,000, nearly four times as high as the last presidential year. The GOP's turnout topped 60,000 with more votes to count.
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Ritchie says he expects up to 330,000 voters to participate by the time caucuses for the Green and Constitution parties and an online Independence Party caucus wrap up next month.
The state has slightly more than 3 million eligible voters.
With 81 percent of precincts reporting, Barack Obama outpolled Hillary Clinton 2-to-1 among Democratic caucusgoers.
On the Republican side, with almost 84 percent of precincts reporting, Mitt Romney led with more than 41 percent of the vote.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)