Another political “attraction” is coming to Illinois today (Tuesday) in support of Gov. Pat Quinn.
First Lady Michelle Obama will host a rally this afternoon at the University of Illinois at Chicago, five days after the president did a fund-raiser for the governor.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says specifically, Michelle Obama will be urging potential Democratic voters to apply for a mail-in absentee ballot. “It’s a coordinated campaign, and what we’ve done on the Democratic side is to send out applications for mail-in ballots to over 900,000 people in our state. These are Democrats who vote in the [presidential] elections, but don’t vote in the [mid-term] elections,” he said.
In the last election, 30 percent of voters either voted early or voted absentee. Durbin is on the ballot too; he says this effort, and the appearances by the Obamas, should help the whole Democratic ticket.
U.S. Sen. Mark S. Kirk (R-Ill.), who is not on the ballot, says Quinn probably needs the help.