EARLY VOTING BEGINS, MANY REQUEST MAIL IN BALLOTS: A light breeze and a flurry of yellow leaves followed voters as they trickled inside the Silver Spring Civic Building to cast their ballots. It was one of the many election locations Capital News Service visited on the first day of early voting in Maryland. Emmett Gartner, Abby Zimmardi, Timothy Dashiell, Shannon Clark/Capital News Service in MarylandReporter.com
- Turnout on the first of eight days of early voting in Maryland was predictably modest. The State Board of Elections reported on Thursday evening that 44,920 voters had cast their ballots at one of the state’s 96 early voting centers. Josh Kurtz and Bruce DePuyt/Maryland Matters
- Early voting will continue statewide on Friday at 7 a.m. until Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Election Day is Nov. 8. John Lee/WYPR
- A poll by the Baltimore Sun Media and University of Baltimore found issues at the top of voters’ minds, with abortion rights, the economy and inflation named as key motivators to vote. Emily Opilo/Baltimore Sun
- Members of the Patriot Club are volunteering to ensure voter integrity, but without the intimidation planned in other states. David Collins/WBALTV
- As early voting began in Maryland Thursday, elections officials throughout the state were struggling to find enough election judges to fully staff the polls, worried that the shortage could lead to problems. Joel McCord/WYPR
VP TO VISIT MD FOR WES MOORE: Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Baltimore this weekend at a grassroots event for Maryland gubernatorial candidate Democrat Wes Moore. Staff/WJZ
COMMENTARY: LIKE IT OR NOT, WE NEED TO ACCEPT ELECTION RESULTS: When the results from this gubernatorial election are counted, we must respect them and move forward together as one state, recognizing that there is more that unites us as Marylanders than divides us. Gov. Larry Hogan/Washington Post
THIRD OF MD VOTERS IN POLL SAY BIDEN SHOULD NOT RUN AGAIN: While Maryland Democrats appear poised to vote Democratic in the midterm elections, the news from the Baltimore Sun Media and University of Baltimore poll still isn’t all rosy for the president. Their new poll found nearly a third of the state’s likely Democratic voters say President Joe Biden should not run for president again. Sam Janesch/Baltimore Sun
NEW MONT. CO. PLANNING BOARD: The Montgomery County Council appointed five temporary Planning Board members Thursday afternoon, in hopes it will provide stability before permanent members are appointed by the incoming council. Earlier this month, the council accepted the resignations of all of its planning board members. Ginny Bixby and Apps Bichu/Bethesda Beat
- The temporary board includes a former planning department staffer and a former planning board member. Katherine Shaver/The Washington Post
COMMENTARY: OUTLAWING PUBLIC EMPLOYEE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS BAD IDEA: In Frederick County, a ballot issue committee supported by county government leaders is pushing a roll back of collective bargaining rights for public employees. Ballot issue committees such as this can accept unlimited campaign funds. We would hope this is something legislators in the Maryland General Assembly consider fixing — the door is wide open for corruption and this is a sleazy loophole no government should consider. Jeffrey Buddle, president Professional Fire Fighters of Maryland/Maryland Matters
HINDU NATIONALIST MONEY IN THE GOVERNOR’S RACE: Democratic candidate Wes Moore appears to have tapped into fundraising from those embracing Hindutva, or a Hindu nationalist political ideology. Last month, Moore, a political newcomer, and his running mate, former state Del. Aruna Miller, held a high-dollar fundraiser at the home of Jasdip “Jesse” Singh, the founder of Sikhs for Trump. Rashmee Kumar and Akela Lacy/The Intercept
ANALYSIS: COX THROWS OUT THE PLAYBOOK: Del. Dan Cox (R-Frederick), who is running for governor this year against Wes Moore (D) and three others, appears to have flung the winning GOP playbook of running as a moderate in the middle, out the window, according to a broad spectrum of observers. Bruce DePuyt/Maryland Matters
RE-DECKING THE BAY BRIDGE APPROVED: The Maryland Transportation Authority Board Thursday approved a $140 million construction services contract for the Eastbound Bay Bridge Deck Replacement project, which is expected to begin major construction in fall 2023 with anticipated completion in winter 2025/2026. The MDTA has designed the project, often referred to as a re-decking, to ensure minimal traffic impacts for residents and motorists. Angela Price/Easton Star-Democrat
In your sixth roundup item, the opening description makes no sense since Frederick County Question A would in no way outlaw public employee collective bargaining for firefighters or anyone else. It provides that while the county executive may propose a budget reflecting the results of union arbitration, the county council will remain free to appropriate money or not, as provided by the county charter, rather than being bound by arbitration to which the council was not a party. Collective bargaining will continue as usual, but the union for which Mr. Buddle speaks will no longer have quite as much of a whip hand as otherwise.