FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Democrats are happy with the large turnout for the state's revamped presidential caucus but said they hope to improve on a system that left some voters waiting for over an hour and didn't yield final results until 12 hours after ballots closed.

It was about 7 a.m. Wednesday when Bernie Sanders was officially declared the winner. State Party Chair Kylie Oversen said the changeover from a traditional caucus to a so-called “firehouse caucus,” that functions more like a standard election, was a “learning experience,” but that it worked as it was designed.

“Given this was a party-run process, and we were responsible for overseeing the counting and verification of ballots, the timeline was reasonable,” she said. “We prioritized accuracy over speed.”

Most states pick their candidates through a primary, which has the benefit of government resources. Of the handful of caucus states, Oversen compared North Dakota's speed and results favorably to Nevada, Washington state and Iowa — where the party struggled to deliver results in the nation's leadoff presidential test.

Only 3,330 voters participated in the caucus four years ago. On Tuesday night, that figure more than quadrupled, to 14,500.

Former North Dakota Lt. Gov. Lloyd Omdahl, the 89-year-old political columnist for the Grand Forks Herald, said he has never seen such interest in a state caucus. He said the long lines and late results really didn't matter for a party that hasn't been a factor in state politics for the last decade.

“It was slow but it was a good thing for the Democrats to see and be encouraged by so many others who turned out,” Omdahl said. “It was a real manifestation of some kind of frustration.”

While President Donald Trump seems assured of taking North Dakota in November, where he won 63% of the vote four years ago, longtime Democrats believe the number of young voters who showed up Tuesday bodes well for the future and will help in down-ballot races.

Bob Pieri, a professor at North Dakota State University, was the last person in line before the 7 p.m. deadline in Fargo. He said he was grateful to see so many young people.

"They've kind of come out of the woodwork," he said. “In prior elections, there has hardly been anyone to populate the voting location.”

The crowd at the Fargo union center began lining up hours before the 11 a.m. start, leading the party to call in emergency volunteers and equipment. Zac Echola, a software engineer from Fargo and a state co-chair of the Sanders committee, said he heard “quite a few complaints” about the lack of parking and long lines, but that most people stayed and voted anyway.

Chalsey Snyder, of Fargo, said she waited in line with her daughter for 37 minutes before ducking out to attend a parent-teacher conference and book fair. She wasn't able to return to vote before the 7 p.m. closing time, but felt better after her choice, Sanders, came out on top.

“It was so powerful and loving and genuinely beautiful to see the turnout, to hear the conversations and passion our community has to create change,” Snyder said.

Several of the 14 voting sites across the state stayed open late to accommodate people who got a place in line before 7 p.m. Once all the votes were cast, volunteer couriers delivered ballots in lockboxes to three tabulating locations, in Fargo, Bismarck and Minot.

“It was very Wells Fargoish,” said Democratic House Minority Leader Josh Boschee, referring to the historic stagecoach.

Party leaders say they want to stick with the format four years from now, though with longer hours and more polling locations and volunteers if possible.

“I think you have to look at where all the complaints are coming from. They are coming from outside North Dakota. It wasn't the people who were actually there voting," Boschee said.

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This story has been corrected to correct that Josh Boschee is Democratic House minority leader, not majority leader.