ST. PAUL — Tens of thousands of voters received calls urging support or opposition of Minnesota’s gay marriage amendment. Hundreds of lawyers were gearing up to scrutinize voting like never before. And political candidates made last-minute pleas for support Monday.

Monday was a busy day for political parties, volunteers and candidates statewide as they prepared for today, and the stakes are high.

Democrats are hoping to wrest control of the Legislature after last year’s government shutdown. Republicans are trying to win a presidential election in the state for the first time since 1972, as well as protect Rep. Chip Cravaack in a northeastern Minnesota district targeted by Democrats.

Voters also must decide the two hotly contested questions of whether voters should have to show photo identification and whether marriage should be defined in the state Constitution as a union only between a man and a woman.

Dozens of volunteers on both sides of the gay marriage amendment were busily calling voters statewide Monday. Gay marriage bans have passed in 30 states where they have been on the ballot.