Candidates, their campaign teams and supporters have gone all out for months to reach the voters.
Now, it’s the voters who will render their verdict.
A seemingly never-ending election season finally culminates with balloting on Tuesday.
That’s when voters weigh in on everything from bitterly- contested statewide and congressional races to legislative and local contests, as well as a school referendum.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the state and locally as well, although, many area residents have already voted.
Early or absentee voting took off in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic and a push by political parties to encourage voters to cast their ballots early.
While those numbers are down, more area residents are casting ballots prior to election day than was done prior to 2020.
Turnout locally and across Minnesota is always strong, particularly during presidential years, and it’s not uncommon to see voter turnouts ranging from 80 to 90 percent in some area precincts.
The early voting figures to lessen some of the load for area election officials, who will oversee area polling places on Tuesday.
Same-day voter registration is allowed in the state, and polling places will be open in Ely (Senior Center), Morse (Town Hall), Fall Lake (Town Hall) and Winton (City Hall/Community Building) Tuesday.
Voters will help determine the winners in many races.
Among the key contests are:
• Two very hotly-contested state legislative races.
State Sen. Grant Hauschild (D-Hermantown) is squaring off with Andrea Zupancich (R-Babbitt) in what has become the most expensive state legislative race in Minnesota.
Outside interests are pouring money into the race, a rematch of a 2022 battle that Hauschild narrowly won, because it could decide which party has control of the Senate next year in St. Paul.
On the State House side, incumbent Roger Skraba (R) of Ely faces Democrat Aaron Kania.
Skraba, a former Ely mayor and council member, won his seat by a mere 15 votes four years ago when he unseated Democrat incumbent Rob Ecklund, but had a comfortable win in 2024.
The spacious district, which extends to some heavily Republican precincts in Itasca County, could give Skraba a boost as he looks to return to St. Paul.
• Incumbent U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) is looking for a new position, and is the front-runner in the race for governor as she squares off with Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth.
Klobuchar, who has Ely family ties, won a fourth term in the Senate in 2024 and hasn’t faced a serious challenge since winning office in 2006.
Several other statewide races are on the ballot, including a U.S. Senate matchup involving Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) and Republican Michele Tafoya.
• After becoming only the second Republican to represent the Eighth District in a half-century by winning in 2018, U.S Rep. Pete Stauber (R) has scored decisive re-election wins ever since.
Stauber is being challenged by Democrat Trina Swanson, who is looking to make history of her own by being the first woman to represent the Eighth District which extends south to the Twin Cities suburb and west to the Brainerd area.
• Ely has several local races on the ballot.
Mayor Heidi Omerza faces current council member Emily Roose as she seeks another two-year term in office.
Incumbents Al Forsman and Angela Campbell are on a crowded council ballot with Josh Brang, Abby Dare, Lacey Squier and Mark Zupec.
The top-three vote-getters win four-year terms on the council.
Three people will be elected to the Ely School Board, but Jen Westlund is the only incumbent in the race. She’s joined by Bailey McLinn-Belehar, Steve Hornstein, John Kannas, Joe Weise and Derekah Kingery.
Voters in the Ely School District will also weigh in on a referendum that could pump an additional $325,000 of revenue into the district, with no net property tax impact.
The referendum is the result of legislation that allows districts such as Ely to capture new revenue because of the abundance of seasonal- recreational properties in the district.
