Barack Obama to cast vote early in Chicago
Barack Obama made Nevada the final stop in a lengthy campaign day on Wednesday President Barack Obama is set to cast his vote in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, as his campaign seeks to harvest votes ahead of election day.
Mr Obama will be the first president to vote early, as part of a two-day marathon campaign across six states.
A new Associated Press poll suggests Mr Romney has a slight lead in the race nationally.
The former Massachusetts governor had erased some of the president's lead among women in the poll.
Thursday's AP poll also showed that the president had cut into Mr Romney's lead with male voters.
The president's early vote on Thursday is part of the Obama campaign's wider effort to encourage early voting, with many states holding open in-person polls this week.
First Lady Michelle Obama voted by absentee ballot on 15 October.
Because the US election is a state-by-state contest, a presidential candidate must win key election states like Ohio, Virginia and Florida in order to be elected.
The campaign recently won a court ruling to keep Ohio's early voting open through the weekend before the election.
Mr Romney is set to campaign throughout the Mid-West state on Thursday.
But the former Massachusetts governor's campaign has been distracted by the fall-out from a fellow Republican candidate's remarks that pregnancy from rape was part of God's plan.
Mr Romney has endorsed Indiana Senate hopeful Richard Mourdock in an ad running in Indiana this week.
On Wednesday, the campaign said it disagreed with Mr Mourdock's remarks, although it did not withdraw support from the Indiana state treasurer.
"We disagree on the policy regarding exceptions for rape and incest, but still support him," a campaign spokeswoman said.
Republicans running in tight contests elsewhere have repudiated Mr Mourdock's comments.
Mr Obama criticised Mr Mourdock's comments on a US late-night talk show on Wednesday.
"I don't know how these guys come up with these ideas... rape is rape. It is a crime," Mr Obama told host Jay Leno, adding that politicians had no business making decisions for women about their bodies and health choices.
Mr Obama also received a boost on Thursday from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who endorsed Mr Obama for a second term.
Mr Powell, who also backed Mr Obama in 2008, cited recent improvements in the economy and Mr Obama's guidance of the US military as reasons for his renewed endorsement.
"I also saw the president get us out of one war, start to get us out of a second war and did not get us into any new wars." Mr Powell said. "I think that the actions he's taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid."
Source : bbc[dot]co[dot]uk
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