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President Barack Obama put aside closed-door fundraisers for a few hours and stepped onto the stages at rallies for allies running for governor in two heavily Democratic states.

He headlined a late-afternoon event at a Maryland high school with Anthony Brown, the states Democratic candidate for governor. He then flew to Chicago for a college rally with incumbent Illinois Democratic Governor Pat Quinn, whos seeking re-election. At both events, he urged Democrats to take advantage of early voting to make sure theyre heard.

I know that around the country Republicans have been trying to make it harder for folks to vote, Obama told the crowd during his appearance with Quinn at Chicago State University, a predominantly black college on the South Side of Chicago. But the truth of the matter is is, so often we disempower ourselves.

Obama, who canceled political events last week to hold meetings on the Ebola crisis, will campaign with candidates for governor in at least six states prior to Nov. 4 elections, according to a White House official familiar with the presidents plans.

Early voting begins today in Illinois and on Oct. 23 in Maryland. Obamas appearances were aimed at rallying supporters, particularly in black communities, although a trickle in the crowd of 8,000 in Maryland headed to the exits early while the president spoke.

In a blisteringly partisan speech in Maryland, Obama attacked Republicans as obstructionists who dont have a vision other than repeatedly cutting taxes for the wealthy.

Republicans want to get you cynical, so you dont think you can make a difference, Obama said. So you wont get involved, so you wont organize, so you wont go out and vote.

The only plan theyve got is to try to make you so afraid, so discouraged, to remind you everything thats not working right, Obama said. Thats their plan, to make people feel like government cant work.

Brown, the states lieutenant governor who is vying to become its first black governor, is leading Republican candidate Larry Hogan in polls. Quinn is in a close race with Republican candidate Bruce Rauner, a venture capitalist who has donated more than $13 million to his campaign.

In 2012, Obama won 62 percent of the vote in Maryland and 57 percent in his adopted home state of Illinois.

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