Gov. Walz votes early in St. Paul with First Lady Gwen Walz and first-time voter Gus

Gov. Tim Walz voted early Wednesday at the Ramsey County elections office on St. Paul's West Side, joined by First Lady Gwen Walz and his son, first-time voter Gus Walz.

As he stepped up to the counter to collect his ballot, Walz informed the county employee that it was his son's first time. "He's pretty excited," Walz said.

While working on their own ballots, the parents asked their 18-year-old son if he needed help. Gus responded with a resounding "no." But he walked with his dad over to the voting machine after both completed their ballots. An election worker called out "first-time voter" after Gus fed the machine, and other workers standing by to watch applauded even as other voters arrived to cast their ballots.

Walz and his son then high-fived before the governor got in a black SUV to head across the parking lot to talk to reporters away from the polling place. The governor didn't mention himself, saying he had voted for Vice President Kamala Harris for president as well as U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, who represents the Fourth Congressional District that includes St. Paul.

Then the governor shifted to politics. "For many of us the last 24 hours certainly have been a bit shaking, Donald Trump's descension into madness," Walz said, thanking General John Kelly for telling the world "how dangerous [Trump] is."

"Donald Trump made it very clear that this is an election about Donald Trump taking full control of the military to use against his political enemies, Donald Trump taking full control of the Department of Justice to prosecute those who disagree with him, taking full control of the media on what is told and what isn't told to the American public," Walz said, holding out his arms to acknowledge the reporters from Minnesota and national outlets gathered curbside for his brief comments.

Kelly, who was chief of staff to Trump, said the former president lacks empathy and has no understanding or respect for the U.S. Constitution. Walz encouraged everyone to read the stories in the New York Times and the Atlantic, and also encouraged everyone to vote.

Trump's campaign denied the Kelly accounts Tuesday, with campaign spokesman Steven Cheung saying Kelly had ''beclowned himself with these debunked stories he has fabricated.''

Walz was asked after voting to comment on the recent Russian-originated fake attack ad against him. He didn't comment on the ad, but said, "Putin wants Donald Trump to win."

Reporters, who haven't had a chance to question Walz since July, also asked him how he voted on the St. Paul child care referendum that would add to the city's property tax to help low-income residents pay for child care. Walz said he followed Mayor Melvin Carter's comments on that. Carter has said if the referendum passes, he will not implement it because of what he sees as flaws in its design.

But for the massive security detail, some with assault rifles, and a motorcade of more than a dozen vehicles clogging the parking lot, the voting process itself was normal. But the event involved media first gathering in vans and SUVs outside Eastcliff on the East River Road, where the Walz family is living during the renovations of the governor's residence on Summit Avenue.

After the Walz family got in their SUV, the caravan headed out for a 10-minute white-knuckle ride through eastbound traffic on Interstate 94, past the Xcel Energy Center and over the Mississippi River to the Ramsey County elections office at 90 Plato Boulevard under the westside cliffs.

Emerging form his SUV, Walz said good morning to the gathered media. He thanked election workers individually as he walked into the office for his ballot.

The first lady wore a plum-colored suit while the governor wore a gray jacket over a maroon sweater and navy pants. Gus Walz was in full Minnesota fall regalia: dark sweatpants, a gray Bemidji State University hoodie and Birkenstock sandals with socks.

On his way out of the polling place with his parents, Gus Walz stopped and quietly complimented a campaign staffer on his sneakers designed for Adidas by Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.

This story contains information from the Associated Press.