Underwood said Obama’s race had nothing to do with his decision at the polls although, he added, it was a historic election.

“I’m just voting the way I did because of the war and the economy,” Underwood said.

Mankatoan Jeff Schulz knew there was a red and blue split across the country, but what he didn’t realize until late Tuesday is that there’s a purple line running through his living room.

He’d already exchanged a high-five with his wife, Jayni, when she let him know she’d canceled out his vote for John McCain with her vote for Obama.

“It was something new,” she said before ‘fessing up to her husband. “Everything is about change, and I decided I was going to change my ways, too.”

They said they were both turned off by the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken. Dean Barkley, the Independence Party representative, was the choice for both of them.

The number of people who voted at Hosanna Lutheran Church, where the Schulzes voted, exceeded the number of registered voters, said Daryl Arzdorf, an election judge there. Long lines started the day when the doors opened, but people moved through quickly after the initial rush, he said.

At St. Joseph the Worker church, festive early arrivals gathered shortly after 6 a.m.

“These women had a tailgate party. They brought their lawn chairs,” said election judge Margaret Schulze.

Maria Baxter-Nuamah, assistant director for African-Amercian Affairs at Minnesota State University, said she was overwhelmed by the interest she saw among students.

“I’ve been extremely surprised at how knowledgeable these students have been. It’s not a fad-type thing,” she said.

“If a black person or a person of color gets in the White House, it’s an important thing, but for these students, it’s more about the issues.”

Baxter-Nuamah said her personal choice for president would have been Hillary Clinton, with Obama (“I thought he needed a bit more seasoning”) as vice president.

That said, she’s just fine with the election’s outcome.

“To me this was historic. Obama is the epitome of what America is supposed to be; he’s multi-racial.”