Denmark is heading into a high-stakes election on March 24, and the drama is coming from all sides.

Sure, the world has been buzzing over Greenland after jaw-dropping threats from the US to seize the massive Arctic island. But inside Denmark, voters are locked in on the issues hitting home every single day: rising costs, schools, health care, safety and whether their children and elderly parents are being left behind.

In other words, this isn't just about an international standoff. It's about money, power, and who Denmark's leaders are really fighting for.

On the streets of Copenhagen, many voters said the biggest issues are the ones sitting right in front of them — taxes, the economy, education, and the climate fears that some say politicians have pushed to the sidelines.

"We're here to mark that the climate agenda hasn't gone away," candidate Linea said. "We haven't talked a lot about climate and energy in these election debates these past weeks, so it's to mark that the climate is still super important. We haven't solved the crisis."

But even that debate has taken a very American-style turn — away from lofty political promises and toward hard, everyday questions: Is the water clean? Are pesticides and fertilizers hurting people? And who is going to pay for the green transition?

That question — who pays — may be the explosive issue at the center of the whole race.

Even with Greenland grabbing international headlines, the real political war at home has been over where Denmark puts its money and who gets the bill. 

One of the campaign's biggest flashpoints has been Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's proposal to hit the country's wealthiest residents with a new wealth tax, using the money to boost schools and offer some tax relief.

It's a classic populist collision: soak the rich, fund the future — and watch the backlash roll in.

On the cost of living, experts say Denmark has felt pressure, but not quite as painfully as some other countries. That is partly because the government moved before the election, sending checks to lower-income households in an effort to soften the blow.

Even so, voters say the issues that matter most are deeply personal.

"First and foremost, it's our children," one older male voter said. "Then it's our defense, and third, probably the economy."

Another voter, Iben Hansen, said the biggest priorities are both the youngest and the oldest of the population.

"I think the most important issue is children and the elderly," she said. "I think it is important that there is a focus on children's upbringing and their education over time. I also think it is important that the elderly are properly taken care of."

So while Greenland may be the headline-grabbing geopolitical bombshell, Danish voters appear to be making their choices based on something more immediate: their bills, their families, their schools, and their future.

Denmark's election may have global intrigue, but on the ground it is shaping up as a bread-and-butter political brawl over cash, care and control.