JUDGE DENIES TRUMP ADMIN ACCESS TO MARYLAND VOTER ROLLS: A federal district court judge told the Trump administration it can’t have Maryland’s voter rolls, dismissing the case and agreeing with courts across the country that have thrown out similar cases. The Department of Justice requested the private lists from dozens of states and Washington, D.C., and sued those that refused to comply. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
ELECTIONS CHIEF WARNS AGAINST WAGERING ON RACE OUTCOMES: Maryland residents wagering on the outcome of elections using online prediction markets could find themselves on the wrong side of election law and potentially face criminal prosecution, state officials say. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been spent this cycle by users betting on the winners of every congressional and gubernatorial primary in Maryland on prediction market platforms. But wagering on elections in the state is illegal. State Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis said residents “trading” on the outcome of races are essentially making illegal wagers. Will Hammann and Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
EARLY VOTING UP 17 PERCENT: Seventeen percent more Marylanders cast ballots during early voting this year than in the state’s last midterm primary, a surge analysts attribute in part to competitive congressional races, economic concerns and heightened political engagement. Tinashe Chingarande and Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
ELECTIONS CHIEF CALLS FOR PATIENCE DURING VOTE COUNT: Once Maryland voters exercise their right to vote Tuesday, they should expect to exercise something else: patience. Maryland Board of Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis said that while many results will be available on election night, counting mail-in and provisional ballots takes time. And officials face new wrinkles this year, with the challenge of accounting for hundreds of thousands of replacement mail-in ballots and a federal holiday falling during the official canvass period. The key, he said, is that every ballot, including those postmarked by Tuesday, will be counted. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
WHAT RACES ARE ON THE BALLOT? Maryland voters will be weighing in on political races across the state on Tuesday. The June 23 primary includes contests for governor, Congress and the General Assembly. Voters also will be deciding on their party’s candidates in local races for county executive, county council, state’s attorney and school board. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
WHAT’s UP WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY RACES: Baltimore County voters will head to the polls Tuesday to choose their party’s nominees for county executive, the County Council and state’s attorney. What should you be looking out for as results come in late Tuesday? Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
TWO OF FIVE CARROLL COMMISSIONERS FACE CHALLENGERS: While all five Carroll County commissioner seats are on the ballot this year, only two districts feature contested primary races. Republican incumbents Ken Kiler, who represents District 2, and Susan Krebs, who represents District 5, face challengers, while the other three commissioner races are uncontested in the primary. Marissa Yelenik/The Carroll County Times.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HARFORD COUNTY’s PRIMARY: The Harford County Board of Elections will begin posting election results Tuesday after the polls close at 8 p.m., and expects to have all ballot counts finalized by July 6. Harford’s 49 polling locations for Tuesday’s primary elections will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Results from ballots cast during early voting and some from primary day will be posted after the polls close, as soon as the county elections board receives approval from the state to post results. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
NEW FEDERAL POLICY MAY MAKE IT HARDER TO PREVENT OVERDOSES: A new federal policy that shifts the administration away from harm reduction practices, which the Trump administration claims “facilitate illicit drug use and are incompatible with federal laws” may make it harder for Maryland organizations to prevent mass overdoses such as happened last year in Baltimore. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
KITTLEMAN DISCUSSES DECISION TO LEAVE REPUBLICAN PARTY: Former state Sen. Bobby Zirkin sits down with former Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman to discuss his decision to leave the Republican Party after more than 50 years. They explore the factors behind that choice, examine today’s political landscape, and discuss the importance of finding common ground in an increasingly divided world. Bobby Zirkin/The Sun’s Across the Aisle.
ARUNDEL SCHOOLS COO PICKED TO HEAD BCPS SYSTEM: Baltimore County Public Schools’ next superintendent will be Dr. William Heiser, currently chief operating officer for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Heiser brings two decades of experience in education across three Maryland school systems. He will succeed Dr. Myriam Rogers, who announced earlier this year that she would retire from her role as BCPS’s superintendent on July 1, 2026, three years into her four-year contract. Marcus Dieterle/Baltimore Fishbowl.
- Heiser, a top leader in Anne Arundel where more than 85,000 kids attend school, will now head the third-largest school district in Maryland, with 108,000 students. Heiser comes to Baltimore County after the district faced consecutive years of position cuts but also raised its test scores. Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
FIRST DOUBLE STACKED CONTAINERS ARRIVE AT PORT BY RAIL: Maryland officials gathered in the Dundalk area Monday to commemorate the arrival of the first “double-stacked” shipping containers arriving by rail to the Port of Baltimore, thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of infrastructure improvements. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
ANNAPOLIS BILL WOULD END FINES FOR PARKING IN FRONT OF OWN DRIVEWAY: Annapolis residents may no longer be fined for parking in front of their own driveways if a proposed bill passes the City Council. Larry Powell, 53, of Parole, who was ticketed for parking in front of his driveway, said, “I parked there, and I came out the next morning, and I had a ticket … I think that’s pretty wrong.” Alderman Keanuú Smith-Brown, who represents Ward 3, introduced the bill at Monday’s City Council meeting, after Powell reached out to him. Katharine Wilson/The Baltimore Sun.
