ST. PAUL  (AP) - Minnesota's top election official says he expects about 3 million state residents to vote by the close of polls on Tuesday.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said Monday that's about par with voter turnout of slightly less than 80 percent in recent presidential elections.

Ritchie also says he expects about 300,000 absentee ballots to be counted on Election Day after more than 235,000 absentee ballots were accepted by Monday morning.

Absentee voting continues through 5 p.m. on Monday at county and city offices and is typically the heaviest day of absentee voting.

Ritchie is urging voters to double-check their polling places before going to the polls Tuesday, since locations have changed for some voters after this year's redistricting.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved)

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