New Mpls. voting system runs smoothly

By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune
Last update: November 3, 2009 - 8:05 PM

On a light-turnout, local Election Day, the brave new voting method in Minneapolis appears to be running smoothly.  

All day, lines of voters were short, according to reports from polling places.  

The ballot itself may be the most interesting aspect of this election across Minnesota, with Minneapolis voters giving a test drive to ranked-choice voting, informally known as instant runoff voting.  

"Most of our voters were very well-informed and understood ranked-choice voting," said Richard Hollenzer, an election judge at Bancroft Elementary School in south Minneapolis "Most people knew exactly what they were doing."  


Among the first 90 voters at the precinct was Paula Keller, a freelance photographer who said simply, "I didn't have a problem with it."  

Another, 25-year Minneapolis resident Brad Berquist, said he "thought it might be more complicated than it was, but it went very smoothly."  

The races with the highest profiles -- for mayor of Minneapolis and St. Paul -- have some of the least drama, since the incumbents in both cities are heavily favored to win another term.  

Elsewhere across Minnesota, city council and school board races predominate on the ballot, along with bond issues and referendums.  


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