Luukkonen sets sights on deer, not votes

Former Crow Wing County Auditor Roy Luukkonen didn't have to worry about election judges and voting machines this fall.

• Photos

When he returned a phone call to a reporter Monday night he had just come home from a day in the woods where he had been looking for a trophy buck. He hadn't shot a buck yet but did claim a "nice doe."

Known for his calm demeanor and bright, patriotic, election night ties, Luukkonen retired as auditor on Jan. 20. This election night he was planning to check the Internet and watch televised election results. After nearly 38 years in the county auditor's office - serving in the top spot as county auditor since his 1988 appointment - Luukkonen is enjoying his first fall in retirement. He said he finds that his autumn days are filled with outdoor activities such as hunting.

"Deer hunting wasn't a priority," he said of Novembers during his long government career. "Now, deer hunting is a priority."

He always took a degree of pride in Crow Wing County's traditionally high voter turnout percentage, he said he expected turnout to be "in the 70 percent area" for this mid-term election.

"Retirement has been easy to get into," he said. "It's relaxing."

- Mike O'Rourke

Wolford Township voter Bob Johnson listened Tuesday as Becky Guida, an election judge, explained the AutoMARK voting machine. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls » Purchase reprints of this photo.

North Brainerd precinct registers new voters on Election Day

Voter traffic appeared fairly steady at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Whittier Elementary School in Brainerd's Ward 2 Precinct 2. Ryan Goble, an election judge at Whittier, said he thought the precinct might have registered as many as 100 new voters at that polling site on Election Day.

Goble is a cousin of newly elected Crow Wing County Auditor Deborah Erickson.

- Mike O'Rourke

Crow Wing County auditor takes

time out to visit newborn niece

Tuesday was predictably busy for Crow Wing County Auditor Deborah Erickson - the first general election since her appointment to the post earlier this year.

She did, however, take time out to stop by St. Joseph's Medical Center to meet a new niece, Rylie Jean Goble, who was born on Election Day. The baby was the first grandchild on the Goble side of Erickson's family.

Erickson said no major problems were reported Election Day. Her election judges, she said, were well-trained and had supervised use of the AutoMARK voting machines in the primary.

The county auditor, who replaced longtime Auditor Roy Luukkonen, broke with her predecessor's sartorial tradition of wearing a patriotic style tie on election night but added her own fashion touch at the Crow Wing County Courthouse.

"I don't have a red, white and blue tie but I do have a little flag lapel pin," she said.

- Mike O'Rourke

New voting machines work well

The use of the AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal ballot-marking machines - available in every Minnesota county this year - has gone well, county auditors in Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing and Morrison counties reported.

The machine allows the voter to simply touch the screen to vote or allows blind or vision-impaired voters to vote independently using headphones.

Kirk Peysar, Aitkin County auditor, said aside from voters having to familiarize themselves with the AutoMARK system, there have been no problems. He said its use, which is the option of the voter, has varied from precinct to precinct.

"We're seeing in some precincts a majority of the people using them and in others just a handful," Peysar said. "But overall the machines have been accepted very well throughout the county and people are making good use of them."

Russ Nygren, Morrison County auditor, said not many people used them in his county, and those that have did so more out of curiosity than need. However, he said the machines are important to have for people who need assistance.

"They are there for need. It's great they can have them," Nygren said.

It was a different story in Colorado, Tennessee, South Carolina and Illinois, The Associated Press reported, where glitches in ballot-reading machines caused voting delays.

"We're definitely glad we have the equipment we have," Peysar said.

- Matt Erickson

Also of note ...

The city of Garrison was the first precinct to bring its ballots in to the Crow Wing County Courthouse Tuesday night. The ballots came in at 9:12 p.m.

- Mike O'Rourke

Before the polls closed, Crow Wing County Commissioner Gary Walters passed the time waiting for election results by playing baseball on the Xbox. He said he had a winning combination in Twins sluggers Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

- Renee Richardson

Commissioner Ed Larsen was one of the candidates who spent part of his night picking up his campaign signs.

- Renee Richardson

Bonnie Cumberland watched early results at the Dispatch, feeling more comfortable with a lead as the night progressed. A former Brainerd mayor, Cumberland said the experience of being a candidate again was bringing back old memories.

"It's always exiting it really is because you just don't know until you see the numbers on the board," she said. "I don't know if you ever feel comfortable until it's over with."

- Renee Richardson

After watching returns at the Dispatch, Brainerd Mayor James Wallin was ready to wait for final results at home as the clock ticked toward 11 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's nice to have the election over," he said.

While all the precincts were not yet in, Wallin had a lead. He said he didn't care if it dwindled to single digits as long as he had at least two votes left in his favor. Wallin said he defeated a then-incumbent Bob Olson in a Brainerd Ward 2 race 29 years ago. Olson was running against Wallin for the mayoral race this year.

"So it's deja vu," Wallin said. "I hope the results come out the same."

With the election completed, Wallin can now concentrate on putting up Christmas lights.

- Renee Richardson

Jan Lambert, candidate for Brainerd City Council Ward 2 seat, said Election Day was pretty normal until 9 p.m. when the stomach started churning. A little more than two hours later, Lambert was still waiting for complete results but was trailing in the polls.

Lambert said she was comfortable with her third campaign for elected office even if it appeared to be coming up short.

"It's always a good experience," she said, adding her late mother would be surprised that her once timid daughter was a candidate.

"I've learned to be comfortable in my view and I can express them and I can also listen," she said.

Lambert is not ruling out a potential run in the future.

- Renee Richardson