Duluth DFL laboring for votes
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By ALEXANDER RISSE
DCN Correspondent
One word can summarize the atmosphere in the Duluth Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL) camp on Election Day: excitement. The Duluth Labor Temple off of London Road is at the epicenter of this enthusiasm.
Approximately 300 volunteers have been working out of the Temple on last minute “get out the vote� efforts all around Duluth. Many have taken the day off of work to lend a hand, and some have been donating their time since before dawn.
The Duluth Labor Temple off of London Road housed approximately 300 volunteers who were getting out the vote Tuesday. (photo Alexander Risse.)
“It’s going great,� said Alana Petersen, who is in charge of coordinating volunteer operations. “The energy level is up.�
Petersen, a DFL staff member, has been helping prepare for the election for months. Today she has been directing volunteers to local precincts for door knocking and phone calling efforts designed to ensure that people get to their polling place to vote.
“We make several passes on people to insure they get to the polls,� she said.
So far, the efforts of the volunteers seem to be paying off. There have been reports of very high turnout around Duluth. Petersen reported that some polling stations were already running low on ballots. That was around 11 a.m.
Aside from the possible ballot shortages in some areas, the election process in Duluth seems to be going smoothly. Blake Chaffee, the campaign manager for Representative Jim Oberstar, said that from what he has observed, the city was very well prepared for this election.
Inec Wildwood, one of the hundreds of volunteers active at the Labor Temple, can attest to the enthusiasm surrounding the election.
“I’ve talked to people who haven’t come out in 30 years to volunteer for an election, but did today,� she said. “People are very excited, very anxious, and very hopeful.�
Like the majority of the volunteers at the Labor Temple, Inec will be working until the polls close at 8 p.m. Some will be there even later to take care of last minute election business and help clean up. After that, many are planning on heading to the DECC for the DFL election results party, which is open to the public.