Yes, it’s election day and Albert Lea residents, if registered to vote, should do so &045; it’s one of the freedoms countless veterans have fought to preserve.

Too often, Americans take this right for granted but in the United States it’s safe and relatively easy to do. Consider the potential peril the Iraqi citizens endured to ink their fingers &045; the mark they had voted. It was a significant freedom for them and it wasn’t very safe.

More than honoring our veterans when we vote, we fulfil our civic responsibility. Saying an issue will pass or fail so what’s the point in voting is no excuse for failing to stop by your polling station to cast your ballot. At the local level &045; every vote counts.

Generally it takes only a few minutes to vote; we encourage you to take the time.

Polling stations are located at

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1st Ward – Brookside Education center 211 W. Richway Dr.

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2nd Ward – First Baptist Church, 355 W. Clark St.

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3rd Ward – United Methodist Church, 702 Hwy. 69 S.

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4th Ward – Grace Lutheran Church, 918 Garfield Ave.

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5th Ward – City Center, 211 Clark St.

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6th Ward – Halverson School, 707 E. 10th St.

To register the day of the election, City Clerk Sandi Behrens asks residents to bring one of the following: a Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, or a receipt for either with current address in precinct, or a Minnesota identification card.