A busy election day in Grand Forks

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This article was published 06/11/2012 (5055 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Voting was brisk today at the Alerus Centre as North Dakotans lined up to cast their ballots in the United States presidential election.

By mid-afternoon almost 2,000 people had voted at the polling centre with a line up growing as people finished work and school. Polling closes at 7 p.m.

“It’s been busy all day,” an election official said.

It’s almost a given that North Dakota, and its three electoral college votes, will stay Republican and vote for Mitt Romney. Across the Red River in East Grand Forks, voters in Minnesota and its 10 electoral college votes will stay Democrat and vote for Barack Obama.

Other than the lineups at polling stations, there’s little sign on either side of the river there’s a presidential campaign.

The only election signs seen on boulevards have to do with North Dakota senate race between Democrat Heidi Heitkamp and Republican Rick Berg. Berg is favoured to win.

Most people say they expect Barack Obama to be returned to the White House for another four years.

Minnesotan William Clifton and his wife Felecia said this election Obama is the lesser of two evils and deserves a chance to repair the country’s economy.

Outside Super One Foods Grocery, they said Obama inherited two wars and an economic crisis that he couldn’t have fixed in four years since his 2008 election.

“It’s been slow to get going, but a new president will do what?” William said.

They also said after tonight the country’s political leaders have to start working for Americans rather than their respective parties.

The Republican and Democrats have been seemingly at each other’s throats that’s harmed the country and its ability to move forward, they said.

“It hasn’t got us anywhere,” William said.