The Minnesota Secretary of State's office is already hinting that an all-time voter turnout record could be set today.

Cooperating weather conditions and an appealing presidential election are said to be major reasons why Minnesota voters likely will lead the nation once again in voter turnout, report Secretary of State officials.

A happy Coon Rapids Precinct 45 voter, Ken Firnstahl, prepares to have his vote recorded after finishing the process at the precinct headquarters located in the ECM Publishers, Inc. building, 4095 Coon Rapids Blvd. (Photo by Howard Lestrud, ECM Online)

The Minnesota Secretary of State's office is already hinting that an all-time voter turnout record could be set today.

Cooperating weather conditions and an appealing presidential election are said to be major reasons why Minnesota voters likely will lead the nation once again in voter turnout, report Secretary of State officials.

Prior to the polls opening at 7 a.m., Minnesota counted 3.1999 million voters in 4,132 precincts. Working the polls are over 30,000 election judges.

Many people were reporting long lines as they arrived to vote just after 7 a.m. today. Others said they waited a couple of hours and witnessed no abnormal wait at the polling place.

Chad Malvin, Lino Lakes, was one of the early morning voters at Precinct #3 in Lino Lakes. More than 200 voted in the first hour the polls were open, precinct officials reported. (Photo by Howard Lestrud, ECM Online)

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and his staff have been promoting 80 in '08 the past few months, shooting for over 80 percent voter turnout in the Nov. 4 general election. It looks like that goal definitely will be reached. The record turnout for Minnesota voting was 83 percent recorded in 1956 during the presidential election between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson.

Throughout the country, voter turnouts are expected to hit record numbers. Absentee voting has also been reported very heavy throughout the nation.