It's Election Day: What you need to know

Voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide the political fates of candidates for statewide office, Congress and all 201 seats in the Minnesota Legislature.

Most polling places open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. in this year's midterm elections.

Minnesota Republicans are trying to break a 16-year losing streak for statewide offices. The GOP hasn't won a statewide race since Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty was re-elected to a second term in 2006.

Who's on the ballot?

At the top of the ticket, DFL Gov. Tim Walz and Republican Scott Jensen, a former state senator, are competing to lead Minnesota after a tumultuous term for the incumbent in which public safety and COVID-19 were major issues.

In other statewide races, Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison is in a contentious re-election clash with Republican Jim Schultz, a former corporate lawyer. Republicans' last victory for attorney general came in 1966, when Douglas Head won the seat.

Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Kim Crockett. The race has seen the GOP candidate spread the same kind of 2020 election falsehoods as former President Donald Trump. The last Republican to win a contest for secretary of state was Mary Kiffmeyer, who won re-election in 2002.

Republicans are also hoping Ryan Wilson, an attorney and former CEO of a medical auditing company, can unseat DFL state auditor Julie Blaha. The last GOP official to win the state auditor's office was Patricia Anderson in 2002.

Minnesota's eight U.S. House seats are also on the ballot. Republicans and Democrats currently each hold four; control of the U.S. House is up for grabs.

The state's main congressional battleground is the Second District, which includes southern Twin Cities suburbs and rural communities extending near Mankato. Democratic Rep. Angie Craig is attempting to overcome national GOP interest in the race and defeat Republican Tyler Kistner in a rematch of the 2020 campaign.

In southern Minnesota, Republican Rep. Brad Finstad and DFLer Jeff Ettinger are trying to win a full term representing the redrawn First District. Finstad won by 4 percentage points in an August special election to fill out the remainder of the late GOP Rep. Jim Hagedorn's term.

In the Minnesota Legislature, Republicans hold a narrow majority in the state Senate, while the DFL controls the House by six seats. Many local races around the state, from mayor to county attorney to school board, are also on Tuesday's ballot.

Where to vote?

Polling locations can be found on the secretary of state's site at pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us. Voters who are in line at 8 p.m. when polls close can still vote.

In-person early voting ends Monday at 5 p.m. Voters can register to cast a ballot at their polling place on Election Day by providing proof of residence, according to the secretary of state's website.

The Secretary of State's office details on its website that while absentee ballots can be put into ballot counters starting a week before Tuesday's election, there are no totals before polls close.

Find more information on the candidates at startribune.com/election2022.