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Behind the counter of Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar
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(FOX 9) - An annual survey conducted at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair by a non-partisan outlet offers a glimpse into the current opinions of Minnesotans on issues ranging from gun control to fishing licenses and sports stadiums.
House of Representatives’ State Fair Poll results
What we know:
Used as an annual barometer for the opinions of the average state fair goer — and anecdotally Minnesotan — the annual poll was conducted by the nonpartisan House Public Information Services Office using topics discussed during the last legislative session that could arise again in the next.
This year, the 12-question poll was taken by 9,945 fairgoers — an increase from 2024, when 7,965 people took part.
Dig deeper:
Results show that most respondents support banning guns in the Minnesota State Capitol (78.9% approval), support providing a free fishing license for Minnesotans age 65 or older (70%), believe a higher income tax rate for the wealthiest Minnesotans should be established (67.4%) and support providing undocumented immigrants access to state programs (66.1%).
Questions also strayed from politics, asking Minnesotans if "state funds [should] be used to renovate or build professional sports stadiums or arenas in Minnesota?" To that question, 69.1% — or 6,735 people — answered "no."
A question regarding the control of cannabis was more evenly split. When asked if cities and counties should be allowed to prohibit cannabis businesses in their community, 47.8% of respondents said yes, while 41.8% disagreed with potentially increased restrictions.
When asked if school districts should be permanently allowed to start classes before Labor Day, the results were again mixed — with 39.9% saying yes, and 36.4% disagreeing with them.
2025 State Fair attendance
Big picture view:
State Fair officials say more than 1.94 million tickets were sold across the 12 days of the 2025 Great Minnesota Get-Together — up from 2024, which had 1,925,904 visitors.
This year’s total of 1,940,869 was the highest attendance for the State Fair since 2019, and the fifth-most attended State Fair in history.
The Source: Information provided by the 2025 House of Representatives’ State Fair Poll and previous FOX 9 reporting.