ELY – Voters formed a long line outside of the Ely Senior Center this morning as they waited for polls to open at 7 a.m. Dozens of votes were cast within the first 30 minutes as Minnesotans across the state head to the polls to elect a president and a U.S. senator, decide several closely watched races for the U.S. House, and determine party control of the Minnesota Legislature for the next two years. In Ely, voters will choose three members for the Ely School Board among four candidates. The mayor and three city council members are all running unopposed for re-election.

Mike Forsman was the first in line to vote.

“The advantage to being first is that everyone I voted for is 100-percent of Ely’s vote,” he quipped.

For many state voters, their Election Day has already come and gone. More than 1.7 million have already cast their ballots, according to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Ely Clerk-Treasuer Harold Langowski said nearly 800 absentee votes in Ely were already counted Monday afternoon. He said Ely election officials expected many more absentee ballots to be accepted today and counted once the polls close at 8 p.m.

“We will be gathering mailed-in and dropped-off ballots throughout the day,” he said. “The Post Office will be checking for any last-minute ballots, too.”

Residents can still vote if they are in line by 8 p.m. Minnesota also has same day voter registration.

While officials across the state and country are preparing for threats against the integrity of the election ranging from the spread of false information to voter intimidation, local officials expect a quiet day.

Langowski did get into a verbal altercation with a voter who stood in line wearing a Trump face mask and t-shirt. The unidentified voter said she had every right to wear what she wants “because its free speech,” but she relented when she was told it was unlawful and changed her apparel to an American flag mask.

Another Ely voter attempted to leave the polling place with his ballot still in hand. Langowski assisted him in voting by absentee ballot.