Election Day is Nov. 5, but you can start voting today.

Why it matters: In addition to the presidential race, control of Congress is at stake in this year's election.

• At the state level, the race for governor, U.S. Senate and attorney general are contested but Republicans are heavily favored.

State of play: Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is term-limited, making the race open this year.

• Republican Mike Braun didn't run for re-election to the U.S. Senate in favor of seeking this office, facing Democrat Jennifer McCormick who previously ran (and won) for statewide office — as a Republican.
• Should he win, Braun would start a third decade of Republican leadership in the governor's office.

Here's what you need to know about voting in Indiana:

Early voting begins today at the City-County Building from 8am to 5pm.

• Additional early voting centers in Marion County open Saturday, Oct. 26.
• Find early voting centers online.

On Election Day, polls are open from 6am to 6pm (local time).

• Marion County uses vote centers, rather than location-specific polling places, and registered voters can cast a ballot at any of them.
• Voters in other counties can find their polling location at indianavoters.in.gov.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or returned to an official ballot dropbox by 6pm (local time) on Election Day to be counted.

• Request a mail-in ballot by Oct. 24.

Learn more about key races

The Pacers preseason starts tonight, and the Circle City is already showing one of its newest stars a lot of love.

• Pascal Siakam has been embraced by fans since joining the squad in January, and the All-Star's bond with Indianapolis is poised to grow via a new online series he's launching called "Indy With P."
• Inspired by a trip to Roberts Camera, the series will see Siakam checking out some iconic Indy spots.
• A teaser posted Monday hints at a trip to Long's Donuts.

What's next: The Pacers start their climb back to the top of the Eastern Conference with a trip to the ATL to face the Hawks.

• Tipoff is at 7:30pm on NBA TV and 93.5/107.5 The Fan.

Mayor Joe Hogsett's "budget magic" era has come to an end.

Driving the news: The Indianapolis City-County Council passed Hogsett's $1.6 billion 2025 budget Monday night but, for the first time in years, support was not bipartisan.

• The vote was 16-9, with three Democrats joining the council's six Republicans in voting against it.

Between the lines: Monday night's vote is a marked departure from last year, when just a month out from a contentious election, Hogsett still had support from council Republicans and passed the budget unanimously.

• Hogsett is already under pressure from the council, which has launched an investigation into his office's handling of sexual harassment complaints against administration employees.

What they're saying: "I voted for a Democrat mayor's budget during an election year last year because I thought that was the right thing to do," Republican Paul Annee said during Monday night's vote.

• "I don't think it's the right thing to do anymore, because we have seen time and time again things like urban forests, housing — maybe not traditionally Republican issues — that community members are coming to us and saying, 'We want action and we're not seeing it.'"

Reality check: Despite the criticism from both sides of the aisle, councilors made no changes to the spending plan Hogsett introduced in August.

The big picture

⛸️ The ice rink may be under construction, but the drama over Carmel's Christkindlmarkt is heating up after board members said city leadership forced them out. (FOX59)

📓 Hamilton Southeastern school district administrators are getting pushback on plans to partner with a charter operator in opening a new high school focused on vocational training. (IndyStar)

🗳️ U.S. Rep. Jim Banks won't participate in a debate later this month with the other two candidates seeking Indiana's open U.S. Senate seat. The Republican declined the invitation from the Indiana Debate Commission. (Indiana Public Media)

✏️ Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI are hosting an IPS School Board candidate forum tonight. Eight candidates are running for four seats. RSVP to attend the event here.

🍽️ Wheatley's restaurant in the southeast side has closed. (WRTV-6)

Spooky season is in full swing, boos and ghouls!

Why it matters: We've got the perfect haunt for you.

Driving the boos: Black House Cafe is a horror-themed coffee shop that opened in Fountain Square last year.

• It's open, and spooky, year-round but there's no better time to visit.

The vibe: As the sign outside correctly advertises, the vibe is spooky — but not scary.

• Sure, there are bloody footprints on the floor and tables, various creepy crawlies hanging from the ceiling and some of the genre's best-known villains (Chucky, Jason, Freddy, etc.) taking up residence in the small cafe — but the absolute over-the-topness of the decor pushes the shop into kitsch, rather than creep.
• The super friendly staff helps, too.

💭 Arika's thought bubble: I love commitment to a theme. From the movie playing on the TV ("Twitches," a Disney Channel original about twin witches separated at birth) to the drink names (Candy man, Ghostface, It's alive) and menu signs, Black House leans in at every opportunity.

Brew of the week: The Dreamer, a latte made with coconut and ube. The bright purple Filipino yam is a popular ingredient in desserts, baked goods and drinks for the subtle, nutty flavor and vibrant color it imparts.

If you go