Democrats in Rock Island County are kicking off the first official day of early voting by doing just that - voting.
The local party is promoting early voting with an effort called "18 for 18." Members are asking democrats to invite 17 people to go with them to vote early in the November general election.
Rock Island County Democratic Party Chair, Doug House, says Democrats are just as energized as they were during the Presidental Election.
"We stepped our efforts to unprecedented levels. We've been engaging voters. We didn't take what's considered the traditional 'off year' election. There was no down time since 2016. We've worked really hard."
House also says there's never been a more important election. "In Rock Island County, one of the most important things we share is our diversity. When Rock Island County voters come out, they have an opportunity to vote for nine women on the Democratic Ticket. The Republican Party has zero, zero women candidates. More than half of our population has been left out of the democratic process by not even allowing them the opportunity to vote for a single woman within their party."
Early voting starts today in Illinois. In Iowa, voters can begin casting ballots on October 8th.