Illinois Early Voting Begins Monday: Voting Starts At 51 Sites In Chicago

With about two weeks to go before the 2012 presidential election, voters in Illinois began early voting on Monday.

Registered Chicago voters may cast their ballot between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on week days and Saturdays through Nov. 3 at any of 51 early voting sites located throughout the city. Further, three locations - the election board's offices at 69 W. Washington, Welles Park and Mount Greenwood Park -- will be open for early voting between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sundays.

According to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, voters do not need any particular reason or excuse to vote early -- but must present a government-issued photo ID or student ID with a photo. Ballots cast in early voting cannot be amended, changed or undone. Voters may also only vote once, contrary to the "early and often" mantra.

Voters in suburban Cook County may find their early voting locations here, while early voting locations outside of the county are listed here.

President Obama is among those expected to partake in early voting in Illinois, as the president will return to his hometown Thursday to cast his ballot, WGN reports.

Despite previous reports of relatively sluggish registration numbers in Chicago, city election officials told NBC Chicago they expect an "extremely strong turnout" for early voting.

Still-unregistered voters may also take advantage of a grace period by registering to vote at the board's downtown office up to three days before the Nov. 6 election.