🎃 Good morning to all the goblins and ghouls out there!

• Mostly sunny with highs in the 50s again, per NWS.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our member Theanna Maus!

🎭 Sounds like: "The Music of the Night," from "The Phantom of the Opera."

• Twin Cities Ballet performs its adaptation of the musical at the Fitzgerald Theater this weekend.

Today’s newsletter is 1,107 words — a 4-minute read.

The balance of power at Minnesota's Capitol could again come down to hundreds — perhaps even dozens — of votes in a handful of competitive districts across the state.

Why it matters: Along with the governor's contest, these races will determine whether the state returns to divided government or single-party control next year.

• The future of everything from tax rates to gun laws hangs in the balance.

By the numbers: The House was locked in a rare tie last session, while Democrats have a 34-33 majority in the Senate.

• All 201 legislative seats are on the ballot Tuesday, but both sides consider only a few dozen in play.

The big issues: Republicans are emphasizing fraud, taxes and state spending, arguing that Minnesota needs a change in leadership after decades of Democrats controlling all or most of state government.

• Democrats are campaigning on affordability, including health care costs, protecting trifecta policies and pushing back against President Trump.

State of play: Analysts and insiders generally give Democrats an edge in the House, where Republicans are defending six seats that the Democratic presidential ticket won in 2024.

• Democrats are fighting to hold just one district that went for President Trump, an open seat in St. Cloud.

The Senate is more of a wild card. Democrats are defending four "majority-makers" running for reelection in swing districts.

• Three of those — Sens. Grant Hauschild of Hermantown, Rob Kupec of Moorhead and Aric Putnam of St. Cloud — are defending seats Trump carried.

Yes, but: Democrats also see opportunities to flip GOP-held districts, including an open one in Maple Grove and longtime Sen. Jim Abeler's Anoka-area seat. Kamala Harris won both districts.

Follow the money: GOP-aligned groups have poured over $12 million into the state Senate races, the Star Tribune reported this week.

• That's nearly $5 million over what Democrats spent.

The intrigue: Some Democrats believe the surprisingly competitive 1st Congressional District race could boost turnout down-ballot, putting even more GOP-held Southern Minnesota seats in play.

The bottom line: "While a massive blue wave puts a finger on the scale for Democrats, the situation is fluid enough for us to keep both chambers at Toss-up," national election forecaster Sabato's Crystal Ball wrote recently.

Go deeper with the Star Tribune's interactive guide to top targets and MPR News' deep dive on the DFL and GOP policy agendas.

What they're saying

The DFL and GOP tickets kicked off the final push to the polls yesterday, launching statewide bus tours to rally supporters and get out the vote.

• 🗳️ Still need to cast your ballot? See what's on it and find your polling place via the Secretary of State.

🐺 Hennepin County and St. Paul libraries have teamed up with the Wolves to offer limited-edition cards for patrons. (Details via @AxiosTwinCities)

✈️ Vice President JD Vance has canceled plans to visit St. Cloud today. (Fox9)

🎯 Target is one of nine companies at the center of a Federal Trade Commission investigation into personalized pricing algorithms and practices. (Star Tribune)

• The company said this month that it doesn't use personal information to hike prices based on where or when customers shop.

🧊 ICE paid more than $495 million to buy the shuttered private prison in Appleton — less than a year after its owner offered to sell it to the state for $75 million, according to records obtained by KARE 11.

🔎 The federal probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar includes allegations of a sham marriage to help a man suspected of being her brother, current and former officials said. (New York Times)

• Omar has long denied the claim, calling it a "baseless, disgusting conspiracy theory."

🚔 A veto-proof majority of the Minneapolis City Council voted to defy Mayor Jacob Frey and abolish the city's Office of Community Safety. (Background via Axios)

• The council also approved an ordinance allowing people to sleep in vehicles overnight in designated parking lots.

The Vikings are off to a surprise 6-0 start this season, and NFL history suggests that means they have a coin-flip chance of making it to the Super Bowl.

By the numbers: Of the last 20 teams to start 6-0, nine made the Super Bowl, and two of those nine won it, according to Pro Football Reference.

Threat level: Only three teams in modern NFL history have missed the playoffs after starting 6-0 and — cover your eyes, Vikings fans — one of them is Minnesota in 2003.

• Take a walk down memory lane with Paul Allen: "Nooooooo! … There are Minnesota Vikings crying on the field!"

What we're watching: The Vikings play the Lions on Sunday. If they win, even the most pessimistic fans can take a breath.

• No team that started 7-0 has ever missed the playoffs.

Our clocks fall back one hour on Sunday, triggering the final handful of pre-7am sunrises the Twin Cities will see this year.

State of play: If you're annoyed by this biannual ritual, polls show most Americans agree.

• Congress has considered making daylight saving time permanent.

Yes, but: Experts warn the change would cause sleep problems and major logistical disruptions.

• Plus: In mid-winter, Minneapolis wouldn't see sunrise until almost 9am under permanent DST.

For fun: Feeling torn? Kyle stumbled upon this "Daylight Saving Time Gripe Assistant." It suggests an opinion based on your preferred sunrise and sunset times.

You won't need snow boots for trick-or-treating this year, but you may want to a pack an umbrella.

The National Weather Service is predicting a high of 55 with a clouds and maybe some scattered rain.

• Temps should remain in the 50s at night, when all the little ghosts and goblins are out.

So no, we won't be seeing a repeat of the 1991 Halloween blizzard, which happened 35 years ago Saturday.

🦝 Torey is quite proud of the raccoon costume she pulled together for her son.

🧚‍♂️ Nick will be out with a witch, a fairy and an alien abducting a child.

🐯 Kyle is dressing his dog as Tigger for a trunk-or-treat, despite experts' advice.

📸 Audrey is loving director Rian Johnson's new camera app. If you also dislike the iPhone's standard image processing, it's worth the $12.99!

This newsletter was edited by Larry Graham.