Why does Minnesota have such high voter turnout?

Whether they're red, blue, or somewhere in the middle, Minnesotans are showing their true colors with soaring early voting numbers.Nearly 420,000 voters have already cast a ballot in-person or by mail during the first five weeks of early voting. That's a big jump from this point four years ago when about 282,000 had voted early during the same period.Over the past five general elections, Minnesota ranked No. 1 in the country three times for voter turnout: 2020, 2018 and 2016. The state finished second in 2024 and third overall in 2022."I think if I had to boil it down, it really comes down to two main things," said Steve Simon, Minnesota's secretary of state. "One is really good laws, and the other is a really healthy, pro-voter culture."One law that stands out was adopted in 1974: Same-day day voter registration. Unlike several other states, voters don't have to register before an election."In most states to this day in 2026, that is their rule. Sometimes it's four weeks, sometimes it