The bus is ready and waiting. All that's needed? Voters to hop on board.
Early voting, already running more than double the pace set by the last Minneapolis city election, continues through Nov. 6, and three groups are pushing to get North Siders to the polls. The entire City Council, the Park Board and the mayor's office are all on the ballot.
A white charter bus idled outside Juxtaposition Arts, offering free rides downtown Friday for anyone who wanted to vote early. It was slow going, but the organizers had announced it only a day before. They had some takers Thursday and expect the action to pick up next week.
"This week we'll see what happens, but we have the thought that we'll build momentum in the second and third weeks," said DeAnna Cummings, CEO of Juxtaposition Arts.
City officials reported Friday that more than 4,000 people had already voted at the Early Vote Center, up from 1,547 at the same point before the 2013 election.
"You have some very highly organized, competitive races, and that's driving a lot of people to the polls," said Casey Carl, the Minneapolis city clerk. "In the Somali community in particular, these are new citizens who are anxious to put their hands on the levers of local government, so they're really, really turning out the vote."
Starting Monday, the Early Vote Center at 217 3rd St. S. will be open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The center will also have weekend hours — Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. for the final two weekends before Election Day.
There were early indications that voting would be robust for this election.
