“Minnesota showed civic resilience in a year when much of the nation saw a sharp drop in civic effort,” the report found.

Its findings show that the state continues to lead in civic participation:

1st in voter turnout, with 77.8 % of those eligible voting, 14.2% higher than the national average.
1st in citizen consciousness of having a “strong civic tradition,” with 26.5 % saying it is strong compared to other states, compared to 13.2% for the national average.
3rd in donations to charitable organizations, with 60.2% donating $25 or more.
4th in statewide volunteering, with 60.5% volunteering in the last year.
6th in working with others to fix something in the neighborhood, with 12.4%.

Despite economic problems, the state fared better than most:

72.2% nationally said they had cut back in volunteering; in Minnesota the figure was 58.6%
41.4% of Minnesotans said they had increased volunteering – compared to 27.8% for the nation as a whole.
40.3% reported being involved in community discussions about the effects of the economic recession.
50.9% of Minnesotans say they would be willing to “work less” if doing so would create more jobs for those who are unemployed.
Almost 53% say they are willing to volunteer more.

And support for efforts to increase civic participation is still high:

86.4% believe that young people should be able to earn money for college through community service projects.
80.8% believe that young people should be required to do community service in higher school.
71% believe that students in high school need to pass a new civics test.
43.7% support training opportunities to learn skills as part of volunteer activities.
15.3% value the opportunity to learn and to be challenged as the first priority for their career, while 9.3% of Minnesotans seek to make a “public benefit” as the first priority. The quarter of the population who prize civic and educational aspects of jobs contrasts to 18.7% for the nation as a whole.

The polls in downtown and south Minneapolis are overflowing with voters — even after the early morning rush.

Elliot Park in downtown Minneapolis is home to a diverse population of elderly voters from nearby Augustana Apartments; East African immigrants; African-Americans, and Pentecostal Christian college students from North Central University. The wait to vote at 8:30 a.m. was approximately a half-hour.

In Minneapolis’ heavily populated Loring Park just south of downtown, the lines stretched around the block at the Emerson Spanish Immersion School — and then some.

Up the street in Loring Park, the Oak Grove Towers also saw huge lines.

A small grocery was offering voters discount refreshments while they waited in line.

Minneapolis’ diverse Whittier neighborhood saw a fairly long line at the Minnesota Church Center.

Minneapolis’ wealthiest ZIP code encompasses the mansions on Mount Curve Avenue. At 10 a.m., even the well-to-do had to wait at least an hour to vote.

In the southeast Minneapolis neighborhood of Longfellow, a crew donned signs touting their favorite candidates and issues while a supportive biker rode by with a “thumbs up.”