Sharon LaQuier didn’t have an uplifting experience this election day at Zanewood Community Center in Brooklyn Park. Here’s her account:

The polling place was disorganized; non-registered voters were being processed much more quickly than registered voters with the result being that registered voters who had arrived early and waited in line weren’t able to vote until after many unregistered voters who arrived later.

In addition, they did not provide ballot protection envelopes so there was no privacy or secrecy. I resent being denied my right to a secret ballot due to lack of election officials’ preparation.

Margaret Pidde had this to report about her voting experience at Woodcrest Elementary School in Fridley:

I arrived at about 7:45 am and was able to move through the line quite quickly, ready to insert my ballot into the reader at about 7:55. As I approached the machine the woman watching it had opened the side slot and told me that the machine was “jamming and folding” the ballots. So I slid my ballot into the side, not wanting it to be “folded and jammed”. I went out to catch a bus to my job in downtown Minneapolis about 8:00am - very good timing overall.

I was very disappointed to encounter a broken ballet reader so early in the day. I hope it did not discourage anyone from voting! And I sure hope the ballots deposited in the side of the box were accurately counted already!

We’re checking into an apparent mixup of ballots that affect school referenda in the northwest suburbs. Kristi Santelman reports that she got the wrong ballot at her precinct, Providence Academy, in Plymouth. Here is her account:

After I finished, I realized that I was given the wrong ballot. There are 3 school districts in my precinct so there are 3 different ballots. I live in the Robbinsdale District, but the Referendum was not on my ballot.

I have filed an official complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Several voters have questioned why they weren’t asked for photo ID to confirm their identity when they went to pick up their ballots. Beth Fraser of the Secretary of State’s office responds that for registered voters, Minnesota law does not permit election officials to demand a photo ID. Voters do have to sign an oath, and potentially face a perjury charge if they do so falsely. If election officials are suspicious that a voter might be lying about his or her identity, they may ask the voter to confirm date of birth, Fraser said.

Despite the law, several voters are reporting that the election officials are asking for IDs anyway. Barbara Zell said that’s what happened at her precinct, Cross of Peace Church in Shakopee. Zell has been voting in the precinct for nine years, and questioned the election official. The answer she got: they were instructed to do so. “I thought, this is absolutely stupid.”

Whether to require photo IDs for voting has been a divisive political issue. Opponents saying it suppresses the vote of the elderly and others less likely to have the IDs, while supporters say it’s a safeguard against voter fraud.