Here are some facts and figures surrounding this year's elections in Hennepin County and Minneapolis. All numbers cited for Hennepin County include the Minneapolis figures.
Registered voters: Hennepin County, 707,000; Minneapolis, 230,000
Precincts: Hennepin County, 425; Minneapolis, 131
Optical-scan voting systems: Hennepin County, 550; Minneapolis, 144
AutoMARK voting machines: Hennepin County, 475; Minneapolis, 144
Absentee ballots (as of Thursday): Hennepin County, about 20,000 accepted and 11,000 not yet returned; Minneapolis, 4,300
Pens for election workers: Hennepin County, 30,000; Minneapolis, 14,500
Voting booths: Hennepin County, 7,000; Minneapolis, 1,500
Turnout in 2006 state election: Hennepin County, 64 percent; Minneapolis, 58 percent
KEVIN DUCHSCHERE