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While we're still near the top of the list, Minnesota is no longer tops in the country in one timely category.

Living here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we're used to a fairly high standard of living, right? Minnesota is routinely ranked near or at the top of many national lists and categories when it comes to our schools, healthcare, communities, and many other aspects of life.

Like, say, our interest in taking an active part in the democratic process and voting. The North Star State has always been a shining beacon of democracy, with residents here routinely heading to the polls in much higher numbers than in many other states.

In fact, in the 2020 election, voter turnout was highest here in Minnesota than in any other state. According to the Minnesota Secretary of State, nearly 80 percent of eligible Minnesota voters (technically 79.96%) cast their ballots in national, state, and local races two years ago.

But sadly, during the recent 2022 election, Minnesota lost the top spot when it comes to voter turnout. Now, we're still near the top, mind you, but voter turnout was down both here in Minnesota and across the country this year, and voters in Oregon turned out in greater numbers than we did here in the Bold North.

According to this MinnPost story, while voter turnout here in Minnesota was at 60.66 percent, Oregon's turnout was 68 percent, which is the best in the country. The folks on the east coast up in Maine placed second this year, with a 61.6 percent turnout, which leaves Minnesota in third place in 2022.

That 60.66 percent means there were 2,511,617 Minnesotans who cast a ballot out of 4,140,218 total eligible voters, MinnPost noted. And that's still pretty good, especially compared to other states on the bottom of the list, like Mississippi and West Virginia, fewer than 35 percent of eligible voters went to the polls.

But turnout this year was down even compared to the last midterm election back in 2018, when voter turnout in Minnesota clocked in at a little over 64 percent. Maybe we can get back on top during the next election in 2024!

One category we're likely tops in, however, is the gorgeous scenery created by our 10,000 lakes. In fact, keep scrolling to take a look at the amazing views at University of Minnesota head football coach PJ Fleck's vacation house on Lake Minnetonka.

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Minnesota Gophers Coach PJ Fleck's Former Home on Lake Minnetonka

PJ Fleck recently sold his lake on Lake Minnetonka in Mound for just over 2.4 million dollars. These pictures show a beautiful home with stunning views of the lake.

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