Minnesotans show up.
On Tuesday, the state set a midterm record for ballots cast and finished second only to Maine in voter turnout, preliminary unofficial figures show.
Nearly two out of three Minnesotans cast a ballot Tuesday, according to figures from the University of Florida’s Election Lab. Unofficial preliminary results show 2.87 million ballots were cast.
Here are three charts that help explain the state’s turnout.
Institutional civic engagement
The state’s high turnout is “not an accident,” said Larry Jacobs, a politics professor at the University of Minnesota. Rather, it’s woven into the state’s institutions and culture.
Colleges, universities and employers are committed to voter turnout, as is the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, Jacobs said.
And for many Minnesotans, going out to vote is an extension of “the same civic muscles as the volunteerism” that residents are also known for.
Same-day voter registration
State law also makes civic participation easier.
Minnesota allows for same day registration. Some 15% of voters register the day they vote, said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University.
Related: Are IDs required to vote in Minnesota?
Residents can also register with various forms of ID in Minnesota, Schultz said.
States with lower registration, may have registration and ID requirements that make voting harder, he said.
Education, income and age
Minnesota’s demographics help, too.
People who are older, more educated and earn more are more likely to vote, Schultz said.
Minnesotans have high education and income figures. The state ranked 6th nationwide for residents with a high school degree and higher, 12th for residents with a bachelor degree and higher in 2024, according to data from the state Department of Employment and Economic Development. As of 2024, the median household income was $89,062 statewide, census data shows.
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