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Lines stretch down the block at many polling places

By AP/KWMU

St. Louis and Kansas City – Hundreds of voters are lining up at polling places in the St. Louis area today, with waits longer than an hour in places. But they were largely in good spirits and said lines were moving pretty quickly.

Lawyer Denise Lieberman with the Advancement Project is coordinating a St. Louis legal command center. She described some problems that seemed to be getting ironed out, like a few instances of machines that weren't working. The project works to increase democratic participation in low-income and minority communities.

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has projected a near-record turnout: 76 percent of the state's 4.2 million registered voters.

That group could include more than 300,000 people who have registered since the beginning of the year, one-third of whom enrolled in the St. Louis region alone.

Only in 1992, when Bill Clinton won the first of his two terms in the White House, did a higher proportion of Missouri voters, 78 percent, cast ballots on Election Day. But should Carnahan's predictions hold true Tuesday, the actual number of voters this year would be greater.

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