President Obama cast his vote Monday in the 2014 midterms, using the first day of early voting in Illinois to try to bolster turnout in a daunting election year for his party.
The president refrained from politicking at the polling place in Chicago, calling “the office of citizen” the “most important office in a democracy.” But his loyalties were no mystery.
Unlike other politicians, such as Kentucky Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes, Obama had no reservations on Sunday admitting which candidates would receive his vote — Illinois Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Both parties are increasingly focusing on early voting, not wanting to rely solely on voters showing up to the polls on Election Day. Obama also voted early in the 2012 elections, when he easily bested Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
In an expected low-turnout year, Obama is imploring Democrats to vote early.
“You’ve got to grab your friends,” Obama said at a campaign event Sunday for Quinn. “You’ve got to grab your coworkers. Don’t just get the folks who you know are going to vote. You 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.”
The president will attend a Democratic fundraiser later Monday in Chicago before returning to Washington.
