Minnesota Midterm Voter Turnout Highest Since 2002

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota voter turnout was the highest it's been for a midterm election since 2002.

According to preliminary estimates from the Secretary of State's Office, nearly 2.6 million Minnesotans voted in-person on Tuesday or by absentee ballot. That's about 63.8 percent of eligible voters in the state.

Midterm election turnout hasn't been that high since 2002, when turnout was 64.9 percent during President George W. Bush's first term.

A high turnout among Democrats helped them overcome an 11-seat deficit to grab control of the state Senate. Democrats Tim Walz and Tina Smith won the governor and Senate races, while Angie Craig and Dean Phillips knocked off Republican incumbents to flip two U.S. House seats.