It is Election Day! Candidates have spent millions of dollars all over the country to get their voice heard. By eight o’clock, the polls will close and results will start to trickle in. But before his happens, who are these candidates and what are the hot button issues in this year’s election?

Minnesota is holding elections for one senate seat, the governor, all United States House seats, and the Minnesota House of Representatives (with other smaller races sprinkled in). Most people know the commercials that have clogged up the airways for over a month. A lot of the ads just try to gain name identification while also slandering the opponent. When you enter the ballot box, there are a lot of bubbles that you have to fill in, but what are the real issues on the ballot this election year?

The obvious one that most people know about is the attempt from both the Republicans and Democrats to control the U.S. House, Senate, and Minnesota House. Most will be voting along party lines in hopes that their candidates will win; but some don’t just go on party, they vote on issues.

The big issue with most candidates is if they will raise or lower taxes. Rather a simple topic to view, it is as simple as voting for a candidate that will do whatever the voter prefers.

In a competitive U.S. House race between Rick Nolan (I) and Stewart Mills in the eighth district, voters have been able to take a stand on the Polymet mine near the Boundary Waters. Senate candidate Mike McFadden has voiced support for it as well as fellow Republican Stewart Mills. It is a purposed copper mine that has been said to create numerous jobs, but could negatively effect the environment.

President Barack Obama will enter into his final two years as president after this election and though implemented in states, the Affordable Care Act is still on voters’ minds. Governor candidates Mark Dayton and Jeff Johnson have debated intensely over the MNSure, the Minnesota version of the Affordable Care Act. Johnson has voiced his disapproval about how poorly it has been implemented, while Dayton has discussed that it provides much needed health coverage to people who could not afford it in the first place.