Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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Election Day is Nov. 8. From the presidential race to the constitutional amendment, here's your guide to who — and what — is on the ballot.

Polls are already open in Minnesota (sort of) if you want to vote now. 

 in September and lasts until 5 p.m. on Nov. 7, the day before Election Day.

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Minnesota has the nation's longest streak of backing a Democratic candidate for the White House. Hillary Clinton is favored to keep that run intact. Republican Donald Trump hasn't devoted much time, money or effort to the state, and it was one of his weakest in the primary season. 

The real question mark is whether any third-party candidate does well enough to add a new major party to the state's ranks in time for 2018; it would take a 5 percent or more vote haul for that to happen. 

In all, there are nine candidates on the ballot. Along with Clinton and Trump, they include the Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson, Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Evan McMullin representing the Independence Party.

Fed up with campaign, some voters seek alternatives

If they approve a question on the ballot, an independent commission would be established to set legislator salaries.

Currently, it's up to the Legislature to determine pay, but they haven't approved a raise since 1999. 

Amendment supporters argue the current setup is an inherent conflict of interest, and they say the political fear factor has suppressed pay and made it hard to recruit potential legislators. 

Reads to get you ready before Election Day

Opponents say it should be difficult to raise pay and a commission is almost certain to hike salaries. 

Amendments require a majority of all of the voters in the election, so "no" votes and blank votes both count against passage. 

The commission would be made up of eight Democrats and eight Republicans. Half would be appointed by the governor and half by the chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. No members of the panel could be legislators or former legislators, their spouses, judges, lobbyists or state employees.

Associate Justice Natalie Hudson was appointed to the post by Gov. Mark Dayton last year. She is facing a challenge from attorney Michelle MacDonald. 

Hudson previously served 13 years on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She also had stints as a legal aid lawyer, city attorney and law school administrator. As a candidate, Hudson is stressing her experience and her temperament. 

MacDonald is an attorney specializing in family law who's made news for some of her own legal troubles. MacDonald is making her second run for the state Supreme Court. She narrowly lost to Associate Justice David Lillehaug in 2014. 

 Runs from the Wisconsin to South Dakota borders across southern Minnesota, encompassing Mankato, Rochester and Winona.

 DFL Rep. Tim Walz is in a rematch with Republican nominee Jim Hagedorn, a former federal official and the son of a former congressman. Walz beat Hagedorn by a 54-46 margin in 2014.

 After being targeted heavily in earlier races, Walz has been off the radar of competitive races of late. He's talked about as a possible statewide candidate in 2018 or beyond. But Walz also came out of nowhere to win the seat in 2006, so he's keen to the possibility of upsets.

 A district that stretches south and east of Minneapolis and St. Paul from Eagan past Wabasha covering many suburbs and exurbs.

 Democrat Angie Craig, a former medical device company executive, faces Republican Jason Lewis, a former radio personality. The Independence Party candidate is Paula Overby.

 There is no incumbent, given Republican Rep. John Kline's retirement. That's made the race expensive and intense. Democrats think high turnout in the presidential race could help flip the seat to them, but Republicans are spending millions on behalf of Lewis.

Lewis, Craig clash on health care, prior careers and Trump

 Comprises much of suburban Hennepin County and small slices of Wright and Carver counties.

 Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen is in the toughest race since his first congressional election versus DFL state Sen. Terri Bonoff.

 Paulsen has run up huge win margins in every race since 2008 and has always outperformed the top of his ticket, leading to speculation he could run statewide one day. But he's working to get beyond stiff Trump headwinds in the district as Democrats spend millions to link the Republicans. Paulsen and Republicans have mined Bonoff's legislative voting record.

 St. Paul and some adjoining suburbs to the north and east to the Wisconsin border.

 DFL Rep. Betty McCollum is in a race with the GOP's Greg Ryan, a plumbing company owner. A third candidate on ballots is Susan Pendergast Sindt of the Legal Marijuana Now Party.

 McCollum is heavily favored in her bid for a ninth term. She has worked her way into House leadership. 

 Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison faces Republican Frank Drake, a realtor. Legal Marijuana Now candidate Dennis Schuller is also running.

 Ellison is a highly visible member of the delegation and prominent in the national Democratic Party's left flank. He was an early and vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders during the primary season. 

 Central Minnesota from western and northern Twin Cities suburbs past St. Cloud.

 Republican Rep. Tom Emmer is opposed by DFLer David Snyder, an iron worker and former Army helicopter pilot.

 Emmer is a strong favorite for a second term. He has run statewide before (narrowly losing the 2010 governor's race) and could try again — for governor or U.S. Senate down the road.

: A huge swath of western Minnesota from the Canadian border to just north of the Iowa border.

 Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson is competing with Republican Dave Hughes, a pilot and Air Force veteran. 

 Peterson is the dean of Minnesota's delegation, having served in Congress for a quarter of a century and being watched closely for signals of retirement. He represents a district strongly inclined to Republicans in presidential races but has won most of his races in convincing fashion.

 A giant district spanning from the Twin Cities exurbs to far northeastern Minnesota.

 DFL Rep. Rick Nolan is in a second dogfight with Republican Stewart Mills of the Fleet Farm family.

 It is far and away Minnesota's most expensive race and 

 The once reliable Democratic district has turned routinely competitive and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Expect a late night of vote counting.

Middle-class struggles dominate Nolan, Mills MN 8 debate

All 201 seats in the Minnesota Legislature are on the ballot Nov. 8. But control of the House and Senate will likely be decided in a 

Here are some of the key races to watch:  

The DFL currently holds a 10-seat advantage over Republicans, 38 to 28 with one vacant seat. The GOP would need to gain six seats for flip.

 The contest for this open and currently DFL seat is between DFLer Kip Fontaine and Republican Mark Johnson. Republicans are hoping to flip a seat that was held by Democrat LeRoy Stumpf since 1983.

: Incumbent Sen. Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook, the powerful Senate tax chair, is 

 from Republican Paul Utke. In what could be Trump country, this will be a test of his coattails.

 There is a three-way race for this open seat, which is currently in GOP hands: Republican Jerry Relph, DFLer Dan Wolgamott and Libertarian Party candidate Steven Zilberg. Among the most uncertain of races heading into Election Day.

 Incumbent Sen. Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City, is facing a challenge from Republican Andrew Lang. With two Republican House members in the area, it was a tantalizing Senate target for the GOP.

 First-term Sen. Matt Schmit, DFL-Red Wing, is facing a challenge from Republican Mike Goggin. Schmit toppled an incumbent four years ago and has been fighting hard to avoid the same fate.

 First-term incumbent Sen. Vicki Jensen, DFL-Owatonna, is facing a challenge from Republican John Jasinski, who is the mayor of Faribault. Both sides consider this a top-tier race.

 First-term incumbent Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, is facing a challenge from Republican Jeffrey Lunde, the mayor of Brooklyn Park. Hoffman beat a sitting senator in 2012 and is facing one of the GOP's strongest recruits.

Tim Pugmire

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Brian Bakst

Election Day is Nov. 8. From the presidential race to the constitutional amendment, here's your guide to who -- and what -- is on the ballot.

Minnesota voters, here's your election guide

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