First lady Michele Obama noted early voting had begun in Iowa as she encouraged University of Northern Iowa students to cast their ballots before Election Day.
Michelle Obama spoke to about 2,500 people on the Cedar Falls campus.
Referring to early voting, which began Thursday in Iowa, Obama told the crowd, "here in this state it is already Election Day."
Iowa is among nine states where Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are spending the vast majority of their campaign travel time and money. Obama, Romney and groups supporting them have spent more than $50 million on Iowa advertising.
Iowa is the first of the battleground states to begin voting, accepting absentee ballots and allowing in-person voting at elections offices and satellite sites.