(KUTV) With just 12 days remaining before the election, President Obama and Mitt Romney are busy campaigning in key battlegrounds states; but the President is taking time out to do what no other sitting president has done - vote early in person.

President Obama is heading to Chicago to cast his vote early, and hoping supporters will follow his lead. "I’m just going to keep on keepin' on until everyone who needs to vote gets to vote,” he said.

His day began with an early morning donut run in Florida, followed by a noon-time rally in Virginia. The President is wrapping up the day in the state he's visited the most:  Ohio.

Mitt Romney put all of his energy into this important state on Thursday. No republican has won the White House without it.

With early voting underway, he's also pushing his supporters to get to the polls, saying "We’re ready. This is our time. I need your help."

In a race this close, both candidates know the outcome will depend on a handful of battleground states. And both candidates received good news on Thursday. The President picked up an endorsement from Republican Colin Powell, and Romney saw poll numbers showing he's erased president Obama’s double digit lead with women voters.

According to the U.S. elections project, more than seven million Americans have already cast their ballots, and more than a third of the votes cast are expected to be in before Election Day.

(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcast Group)
President Obama Participates In Early Voting