Fraud in state government drives some voters to the polls
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Voters around the state are saying issues like immigration and fraud are driving them to the polls in the midterm elections.
Melanie Carruth, a 66-year-old, semi-retired registered nurse from Spring Valley, said Minnesota needs to be made more affordable. She's a Republican poll watcher and said she cast her vote a few days ago.
Carruth said fraud is a big issue for her.
"And I think, by tamping down that fraud, that will help make it more affordable,” she said. “Because now, how many billions do we have going out the door in the last eight years? And it could have been going towards the people that really deserve to have it."
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Carruth was stationed as an observer at a polling site in St. Cloud.
“Just to make sure that there's no problems with voters having identification, or that there's no problems in the voting area,” she said.
She said it was important to let people know she and others were watching. But did not observe any issues Tuesday morning.
While many voters told MPR News they were frustrated with the Trump administration’s policies, Carruth said that was not the case for her.
"I think that what we need to concentrate on is not Donald Trump, and and you know all the candidates have at some point gone up against him. I think the candidates that we have are very strong. They believe in their beliefs, and it doesn't always mean that they believe in exactly what Trump wants."
She added that voters should assess how they’re doing now compared to eight years ago and choose their candidates accordingly.
“So just come out and vote,” she said. “It's important.”
Carol Ringwelski, 82, is a retired certified pharmacy technician from Waite Park. She was voting with her son, Patrick, and said her vote was inspired by her concerns about the economy and if she'll have enough savings to last through retirement."
“I think the economy, the fraud, and just everything that's going on in the world, I think we need to get out and let people know that things have to change a little bit,” Ringwelski said.
She added her frustration with career politicians.
“I think too many people stay on too long and make it, the House of Representatives and senators, make it a career, and then they get very rich off of us,” Ringwelski said. “And the average person, they don't think about as much as they do about themselves, and so we're all hurting.”
