(Image credit: Jocelyn Augustino for Obama for America)

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will both cast their ballots for the 2012 election early, the couple announced today on Twitter.

The announcement means Mr. Obama will become the first presidential candidate to not vote in-person on election day, according to his campaign.

"Hey, @BarackObama, I just dropped my absentee ballot in the mail," wrote Mrs. Obama. "I couldn't wait for Election Day! Love you!" She signed the message with "-mo" indicating that it was personally posted to the account by her.

The first lady included an image of herself holding the sealed, post-marked absentee ballot to be returned to the Illinois Board of Election Commissioners.

The president tweeted shortly after that he would also be balloting early, but on a visit to Chicago later this month.

"I'm following @MichelleObama's example and voting early, on October 25," he posted to the @BarackObama Twitter profile, signed "-bo." "If your state has early voting, join me."

While the Obamas' home state of Illinois is reliably blue and not in contention, the first couple has been encouraging voters in swing states to register and vote early. Voting in Virginia, Iowa, Ohio and New Hampshire is already underway.

Thirty-two percent of voters say they'll cast ballots early, according to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll. Among those who plan to vote early, Obama holds the advantage, 54-43 percent, underscoring the particular importance of early turnout to his campaign. In ABC/Post polling in 2008, he won early voters even more widely, by 58-40 percent.

ABC News' Gary Langer contributed to this report.