Michelle Obama Appeals to Young and First Time Voters to Vote Early

While she was definitely in Racine Friday to play up the positives of her husband's time in office, First Lady Michelle Obama also encouraged young people and first-time voters to cast their ballots starting Monday.

"I'm talking to you, young people, you hear me?" she said. "You have to get the vote out and early voting allows you to do what works for you. If you wait for election day, you don't know what could happen. You could have a sick baby or your car could break down. Don't miss your opportunity to vote."

Obama was at Memorial Hall in Racine as part of her latest swing through Wisconsin — a state seen by many, including the president and First Lady, as a key state needed to win in November.

She urged the crowd to talk to everyone they know and to help young people or those who have never voted before get to the polls to register to vote.

"You don't have to worry about not being registered. In Wisconsin, you can do it on the spot," Obama continued. "Sometimes it just takes going with someone they know to get a first-time voter out so let's take advantage of that."

Before the First Lady took the stage, she was introduced by Linda Boyle, a retired Racine Unified School District teacher who said she was inspired by the 2008 presidential campaign to get back involved in the lives of young people.

"So I started a group for homeless students," she told the crowd. "But I am happy to support President Obama because as a mother, I'm so happy with what he's done for equal pay for women and he knows that we can make our own healthcare decisions."

After Obama's speech, Boyle told Patch she was nervous about taking the stage until she met the First Lady backstage.

"She hugged me and when I thanked her for the work she does, she said, 'Oh, no, thank you for what you do for children,'" Boyle said. "Then I wasn't nervous anymore."

During her speech, Obama also targeted campaign talk at young people to focus on the future by acting now.

"We have every reason to be optimistic because elections are always about hope," she said. "Let's talk about the future and not just about this election. Real change is hard but if you have tenacity and patience - and this is a lesson for young people - but if you keep fighting and keep showing up, then eventually we'll get there. We always do."

After the event, Phyllis Szymczak of Mount Pleasant said Obama inspired her.

"It's critical that President Obama stay in the White House, and, you know, the First Lady is just fantastic," she stated.

Sherice Ford of Racine thought that if there were any undecided voters in the audience, the First Lady's speech swayed them to the president's side.

"She's motivating and inspires us to work for what we want," she said.

But Tzviatko Chiderov who works with One.org, a global advocacy group, said he wasn't sure if Obama's visit and speech made a difference.

"Maybe," he acknowledged. "She was certainly able to get everyone excited and her message was pretty consistent from everything else coming from the campaign. She had a good focus on women and children and addressing young people, too."

Rafael Perez-Barron was volunteering, and he said he supports the president's re-election because the country needs four more years of Obama's policies.

"It's important that the president get four more years because his policies are good for the country and Hispanic people who need help, like the kids," he said.