President Barack Obama has been urging Democrats to head to the polls way ahead of election day on Nov. 4 -- so it was no surprise to see him practicing what he preaches.
Obama was one of the first to cast his ballot on Monday, the first day he could do so at his home in Chicago.
The president spent the night at his home in the Kentwood neighborhood before waking up and going to vote at his local polling station. Here he is below, figuring out the ballot machine.
Obama votes early in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/ERWyPI2pOW— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) October 20, 2014
As the November midterm elections approach, with the president's approval rating hovering around 46%, plenty of Democrats have prevaricated when asked whether they're fans of Obama. Some won't even say whether they voted for the man.
Obama, however, had no problem telling the country which candidates he planned to vote for during an Oct. 19 campaign rally for Illinois Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn at Chicago State University. "The first thing I'm gonna do tomorrow is cast my vote to re-elect Dick Durbin and give my friend Pat Quinn four more years as governor of the great state of Illinois," the president said, referring to his schedule on Monday.
Durbin is the senior senator from Illinois and, as the Senate Majority Whip, the second-highest ranking Senate Democrat. Obama said that Durbin took the soon-to-be president under his wing when Obama first became an Illinois senator in 2005.
According to a number of polls, Durbin has around a 10 point lead over his challenger, Republican State Senator Jim Oberweis.
Quinn was elected governor in 2009 and is locked in a tight race with businessman and Republican candidate Bruce Rauner.
Obama was in Illinois to rally support for Democrats there, but also to urge people to vote well ahead of election day on Nov. 4.
“Starting tomorrow, you can vote, too," the president said on Sunday. "You've got to grab your friends, you've got to grab your co-workers. You know, don't just get the folks who you know are gonna vote, you've got to find Cousin Pookie. He's sitting on the couch right now watching football, hasn't voted in the last five elections. You've got to grab him, and tell him to go vote."
Obama stayed at his Chicago home overnight, and will return to Washington, D.C. on Monday after he casts his ballot.