650,000+ Early Minnesota Votes Crushes Previous Records

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Before polls opened on Election Day, more than 650,000 Minnesotans had already voted by absentee ballot, crushing previous records.

The number represents nearly 20 percent of the state's registered voters. Minnesota also has same-day voter registration.

On Tuesday morning, voters were streaming into polling places at a steady pace. One polling location in the St. Paul suburb of Roseville had dozens of people in line as polls opened at 7 a.m.

The high-drama presidential race brought many people to the polls. There is also a high-stakes fight for control of the Legislature, and some congressional races around the Twin Cities suburbs and in northeastern Minnesota have yielded millions of dollars in attack ads.

Also on the ballot is a constitutional amendment that would create an independent panel to set lawmaker pay.

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