The Minnesota Council on Foundations is committed to supporting a long-term Census and democracy infrastructure and an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. As part of this, we recognize that data access and interpretation of demographic data is critical. Demographic data informs our understanding of Minnesota's communities and provides necessary information to support creative engagement and vibrant placemaking through civic engagement across the state.
The Minnesota Council on Foundations, Voices for Racial Justice, Minnesotans for the American Community Survey and 2030 Census, the Office of the Secretary of State, and the Center for Urban Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota, have collaborated to produce interactive maps of Minnesota showing voter turnout data by precinct for various demographics such as race/ethnicity, age, housing, income, and more.
Mapping Tools:
The Precinct Level Demographics and Voter Turnout 2022 map shows both voter turnout by precinct along with demographic data on race, ethnicity, age and housing tenure. This map is hosted and led by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs the University of Minnesota.
- The Our Power, Our Democracy map combines the % of voters who cast a ballot in the last election and the racial demographics for the people who live in a precinct. This map provides a sense of what communities have the highest number of potential BIPOC voters — and the greatest potential to turn out BIPOC power at the ballot box through targeted engagement. This map is hosted and led by Voices for Racial Justice.
Our goals through this project are to:
- Provide tools for organizations to reach more historically underrepresented communities in voter engagement activities.
- Help advocates and service providers better understand variation in voter turnout across different communities.
- Continue building a network of civically engaged communities and organizations.
- Support organizations in understanding race and ethnicity per precinct.
- Illustrate the critical importance of census and American Community Survey data in understanding the demographics of our communities.
This project is a product of the Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership.
Read about the project history to learn more about the development of the map and data sources.
To learn more about the maps and/or request trainings, contact May Yang at myang@mcf.org.
These maps were created using publicly available information on voter turnout and are being made available as a free public resource on a nonpartisan basis. Charitable organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code who are interested in using the maps to inform their voter education and civic engagement activities should ensure that their proposed uses are consistent with their tax-exempt status and their classification as a public charity or private foundation and should consult with knowledgeable legal counsel as necessary. A free resource for 501(c)(3) organizations highlighting some of the primary legal considerations for voter engagement and registration activities may be found here.