Educators in Minnesota's largest school district have begun casting their votes on Wednesday to potentially hit the picket line. 

The strike vote comes as union leaders say contract talks between the Anoka-Hennepin School District have stalled. 

Last week, union members braved the cold to make their voices heard outside the school board meeting.

"We are not asking for a settlement that is going to bankrupt the district," Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota President John Wolhaupter said. "We share a vested interest in the financial health of the district, and we believe they can afford what we're asking for."

Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota represents more than 3,000 educators across 55 schools. The union said educators are being forced into what they call a false choice: affordable health care or modest wage increases. The union said insurance premiums jumped sharply this year, leaving some educators taking home less pay.

"It's a really, really hard situation for most of the teachers that are teaching in the school district," Michelle Powers, an English teacher at Coon Rapids Middle School, said. "They're taking home 500 or 600 less dollars a month. We all are, and it's really, really hard, especially at the holidays. I mean, this is a time of year when we should have a little bit of extra to give to others and to, you know, make our community the best place it can be. And a lot of people are just really strapped for cash."

On Monday, district leaders said talks were ongoing, with the aim to work collaboratively with the union. They also stressed the task of balancing employee needs with tight budgets.

Anoka-Hennepin School District serves about 38,000 students. 

Voting began at 7 a.m. and goes through the rest of the week, so the results of the vote won't be known until Saturday. 

If the strike authorization vote passes, union leaders say they could file an intent to strike later this month, with a potential walkout possible in early January.