Live from the polls on Election Day in Minnesota

[MUSIC PLAYING] NINA MOINI: Our top story on Minnesota Now, it's election day. The polls are open until 8:00 PM across the state. On the ballot, there are a number of municipal races and referendums. Voters in a pair of Minnesota Senate districts have the potential to change party control of a closely divided chamber.

But perhaps the most closely watched races are for mayors in Minneapolis and St. Paul. MPR news reporter Regina Medina and Sarah Thamer have been at the polls all morning. We're going to start with Sarah, who is in Minneapolis. Hi, Sarah.

SARAH THAMER: Hi, Nina.

NINA MOINI: So you've been to a couple of polling places, I understand, this morning. Where are you right now, and how are things looking? Everything going smoothly?

SARAH THAMER: Everything is going smoothly. I'm here at Martin Luther King Park, which literally feels like a walk in the Park on this gorgeous fall day. Everyone here seems like they're in a good mood. And things have been steady so far, Nina. The morning rush has eased, still a steady trickle of voters coming in, people stopping by during the lunch hour, parents bringing their kids along.

I spoke to a couple of election judges here who tell me that things have been running smoothly so far. The lines have been short, no reports, thankfully, of any delays or mishaps or confusion. The pace feels pretty consistent, but definitely active for a local election.

NINA MOINI: What are some of the races that are on the top of the ballot there and top of mind for folks?

SARAH THAMER: Well, it's a long ballot this year. The big one, of course, is the race for mayor. Jacob Frey is running for a third and final term, and he's facing three main challengers-- state Senator Omar Fateh, attorney James Hampton, and minister Duane Davis. All four have focused on safety, housing, and unity. But they don't necessarily agree on how to get there.

Voters are also electing all 13 city council members, which could shift the balance between progressives and moderates at City Hall. So these incumbents aren't running again. Some of them are rather not running again.

So there is a chance for some real change on the council. And then, of course, every seat on the Park Board and two on the Board of Estimate and Taxation are also on the ballot. So there's a lot for voters to decide today.

NINA MOINI: Definitely. So when you were talking to voters, Sarah, what are some of the issues that are top of mind for them as they're heading out to vote?

SARAH THAMER: A lot of the themes seemed pretty consistent. People keep bringing up public safety, affordable housing, and just overall trust in city leadership. Others I spoke with also brought up immigration issues and homelessness.

And while nearly all the candidates, Nina, are running from the progressive side, voters said their main concerns are practical ones, again, improving safety, keeping housing costs down and just ensuring that the city is responsive to residents. People want to feel heard.

Several people said they're less focused on political labels and more on who can deliver results. I'm hearing people say that they're just ready for a change. And there is, of course, some interest in the lesser-known or independent candidates, too, people who feel that their everyday frustrations aren't being heard, that maybe want to give other folks a chance. Here's what some voters that I spoke had to say today.

AIMEE DE SUTTER: I am concerned about the immigration issue and how all of that is going down. I'm also interested in how they're going to manage the police force.

ANDREA THOMPSON: So the issues right now that are most important to me are obviously grocery prices, gas prices.

KATHERINE STEWART: I'm looking for experience and just not verbiage from people who want to use words and have no experience because I know too well what that really means. It means that you come into a place that you don't anything about and you do what's being pushed in front of you, rather than you researching and articulating that for yourself. I've seen that too often.

SARAH THAMER: That was Aimee de Sutter, Andrea Thompson, and Katherine Stewart.

NINA MOINI: So for folks who have not gone out to vote yet or are still maybe thinking about it, anything they should know, Sarah?

SARAH THAMER: Polls are open until 8:00 PM. And if you're not registered yet, it's not too late. You can still register right at your polling place today. You do need to bring a proof of residence, like a driver's license, with your current address, or a bill, or lease anything with your name on it.

Minneapolis uses also ranked choice voting. So voters will see multiple columns on the mayor's race and can rank up to three candidates in order of preference. Election officials say they're expecting a steady flow through the afternoon and into the evening.

NINA MOINI: And Sarah, there is a chance that we won't get results right away tonight, right?

SARAH THAMER: That's right. Because of the ranked choice voting that I just mentioned, Minneapolis results can take a bit longer, especially if no candidate gets a majority on the first round of counting. So we'll get first choice totals tonight.

But if the race is close, final results could come tomorrow or later in the week once all rankings are tabulated. So tonight, we'll get a sense of where things stand, but we may not know the full picture until those ranked choice rounds play out, Nina.

NINA MOINI: Thanks for checking in with us, Sarah.

SARAH THAMER: Thanks so much.

NINA MOINI: That's MPR news reporter Sarah Thamer reporting live for us from the polls in Minneapolis. Let's head on over to St. Paul now with Regina Medina, live from the polls. Hi, Regina.

REGINA MEDINA: Hey there. Nina,

NINA MOINI: Where are you right now? What are the polling places looking like that you visited?

REGINA MEDINA: Well, right now, I'm outside the polls at Steele High Rise in St. Anthony Park. And it's a beautiful autumn day here, and it sounds like everywhere in the Twin Cities. And the polling places that I've been visiting today have just had steady stream of voters coming in, voting, leaving it, kind of talking with other folks and then just walking back to their house.

And it's just been a steady stream. And that's what I've been seeing. And at this particular polling place, it's a building where people are living, so there's a lot of activity outside of the actual polling place.

NINA MOINI: So you are tracking for us the mayor's race there in St. Paul. Who's on the ballot, Regina?

REGINA MEDINA: So we're looking at the incumbent mayor, Melvin Carter is one of five candidates. He's trying for his third term. And he faces a few candidates that he knows in this ranked choice election. And one of them is his former aide, State Representative Kaohly Her.

Now, Carter says he has made great progress in St. Paul, and he notes investments in family. And he wants to continue building on that momentum that he says he's established. And Her says the city is at a standstill and it needs further investment.

And then there are three other candidates. And one is a biophysicist. And they all have their own agenda or thoughts about what should be happening with the city as well.

NINA MOINI: And folks can go to mprnews.org to get a detailed breakdown of all the different candidates, because besides the mayor's race. Regina, there's two other ballot measures in St. Paul, too. Can you explain those?

REGINA MEDINA: Oh, yeah, sure thing, Nina. So there's a ballot measure that would give city officials the authority to issue non-criminal fines for those who violate city ordinances. And the city's current charter only allows for criminal penalties when people don't follow the rules.

And that is unusual for the state's major cities which use these type of non-criminal fines as an enforcement tool. And then there's another measure, and that's a proposed levy referendum that would raise $37 million annually for 10 years for St. Paul Public Schools.

NINA MOINI: Let's take a listen now to some of the voters that you talked to there in St. Paul, Regina.

FOREST PURNELL: Yeah, I voted yes on both. But I think I'm especially passionate about the administrative fees given that we are-- all the metro areas around St. Paul are able to do that. And it seems like a common sense way for the city both to raise revenue and to be able to put some teeth on different policies that the city has.

And I also really don't buy the argument that it's going to be used as a tax on the poor or whatnot. I'm just not convinced that that's the case based on everything that people have been saying.

SUBJECT: Yeah, I think one of the most important things for us as parents is to look for the schools and the funding that the schools get. Our children need a better education. Our children need a lot of activities, and they need a lot of different things to help them grow. So to help the schools, we have to come together and see what we can do and vote to help out our schools and make sure our children are successful.

REGINA MEDINA: That was Forest Purnell explaining why he voted yes to amend the city charter to allow city council to issue administrative fees. And also, that was Mahmud Kinyare, explaining why he voted yes to increasing the levy for the St. Paul School District.

NINA MOINI: Regina, thanks so much for checking in with voters for us on this election day. Thank you.

REGINA MEDINA: Thank you.

NINA MOINI: That was MPR news reporter Regina Medina reporting live from the polls in St. Paul. In addition to the mayoral races, we're also following school board races for his school levies in Duluth, the right to repair ballot measure that would allow renters to pay for minor repairs and deduct the cost from their rent. We have information, again, on all those races and more at mprnews.org. We'll have election updates, of course, for you and results all day on air and online.