Voters take to the polls at Cornerstone Southern Baptist Church, 802 West 22nd Street Terrace, on Tuesday. More than 65 people had cast their vote by 8 a.m. at the 28th voting precinct in Lawrence.

It was a crisp, autumn day here in Douglas County, and just like in the rest of the country, a sense of change was in the air as voters went to the polls last November.

Veterans, bankers, teachers and entire families came out to vote here — a record number with more than 53,000 people in all.

The Lawrence Journal-World was there with video cameras asking voters what was on their minds — what issues they cared about, what changes they hoped to see in the next six months and how they had voted.

One year later, we tracked down some of the voters to ask again what was on their minds and to reflect on their votes of a year ago.

Here is what they said.

Mark Algren

For Mark Algren, the election of Barack Obama was an exciting moment, one he related as a mountaintop experience.

“Then you are sent from the mountain back to the plain,” Algren said. “I, along with many others, gosh, we wish more can be done. But the political process is very slow and takes a lot of time.”

A Republican who voted for Obama, Algren is frustrated with what he calls the “extreme polarization” of the far right.

“A year from now, it would be nice to see that the far right is able to temper itself and realize there is a political process that doesn’t involve fearmongering and hatred. And that there will be the ability to have a civil and civilized discussion about where the party is going,” he said.

Bettie Dannevik

Last November, 74-year-old Bettie Dannevik listed the economy as her No. 1 concern. A year later, it still is. She, like the majority of Lawrence, voted for Barack Obama. And, just as she did a year ago, she hopes the economy will turn around soon.

“I’m disappointed in a lot of areas. The No. 1 thing is our president has come up with some great solutions, but we don’t have the people that are smart enough to implement these changes,” she said.

Erin Morris

When Erin Morris voted for Obama last November, she did so with the intent that it would lead to a government that was “less partisan” and a “little more honest.”

But she hasn’t seen the changes she had hoped for, as politics has remained as partisan as ever.

However, the 32-year-old KU professor continues to view that November day as a historic one.

“I think electing the first black president was really big for our country,” Morris said. “But I don’t think policy and politics have changed as much as I wanted it to.”

As she looks to buy a house, Morris sees at least one of the president’s policies as having a major influence on her life: the first-time home buyer tax credit, which Congress extended this week until April 30, 2010.

Tyler Bolin

For Tyler Bolin, the political decisions that have been made in the past year have been difficult to stomach.

The 22-year-old Republican has a long list of criticism for the Obama administration. Too many federal regulations have been inserted into the auto industry and health care. Obama hasn’t listened to Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for more troops in Afghanistan. And the country has hit a 10 percent unemployment rate.

“It has been hard to watch,” Bolin said. “But at the same time, it is encouraging because a lot more people are shifting to the right because of how crazy things are.”

The past year has been one of change for Bolin, too. He graduated from Kansas University and is now working at a financial firm in Virginia, where he hopes to launch his own political Web site.

Richard Wiley

A year ago, Richard Wiley was against any new taxes. He was for having a smaller government and restoring more power back to the states. The Republican voted for Libertarian candidate Bob Barr for president.

And he predicted that “absolutely nothing” would be different in six months.

Today, Wiley said, there has been movement on one issue that he has been pleased with — a public health insurance option.

“If there was a way for the government to offer it so it was open and fair to all, that kind of excited me,” Wiley said, adding that he is disappointed that it’s an issue the president is now “wishy-washy” on.

As for the future, Wiley hopes that power shifts from the Democrats in Congress.

“People don’t like too much power in one place. I think everyone realizes that is not always a good thing,” he said.

Chantal Schneider

A year ago, Chantal Schneider voted for Obama because she felt the country “needed a fresh perspective” and he was the man to turn the economy around.

Today she is pleased with what he has done and the amount of campaign promises he has followed through on.

With the economy and health care reform, Schneider recognizes the challenges facing the president.

“I am glad I’m not president. I would not want to deal with all that,” Schneider said. “But I do have faith he can get us through.”

Ken Peirce

Ken Peirce isn’t afraid to admit that he does like Obama and probably should have voted for him.

But that doesn’t mean Peirce, who voted for John McCain, is happy with the way things are going.

As a banker, Peirce wasn’t pleased with the Obama administration’s decision to bail out financial corporations that were “too big to fail.” At the same time, interest rates on credit cards have gone up and real estate loans are harder to come by.

“What happened to ‘let’s make a change for every American and the everyday people’?” Peirce asked. “It seems like we are being punished and the big guys are getting away with what they want.”

Julie Buller

When Julie Buller voted for Obama last November, the main reason was to end the war in Iraq. It’s an area where she thinks progress has been made.

As someone who normally votes Republican, Buller said she wanted to see whether someone else “could do a better job.”

She agreed with the Cash for Clunkers program and sees the economy as being on the “right track” even if taxes haven’t gotten any lower.

However, Buller is still uncertain whether she will give Obama a second vote in 2012.

“I think I would have to wait another year or so to decide that for sure,” she said. “I think he needs to have a longer time in office (before you can) really evaluate.”