Obama plans series of rallies the weekend before election

Obama to attend "Get out the vote" rallies in Philadelphia, Chicago and Bridgeport, Conn.

President Obama will deliver a series of speeches in key swing states — including a stop in his hometown of Chicago — the weekend before Election Day. 

The president will attend "Get out the vote" rallies in Philadelphia, Bridgeport, Conn., and Chicago on Oct. 30, and cap off his swing with another speech in Cleveland on Oct. 31.

The Democratic National Committee hasn't decided when or where Democrats would hold the rally, but the previous rallies the president has attended over the past month have been held at large sporting venues or open spaces that can accommodate tens of thousands of attendees. 

The events are meant to boost turnout for Democratic candidates in the closing days before the election.

"As we see the tide turning in our direction, the president, participating in these events and laying out the choice voters face on November 2, will be vital to improving our chances for success on Election Day," said DNC Chairman Tim Kaine.

The president will be joined in Cleveland by Vice President Joe Biden, and first lady Michelle Obama will attend her own rallies in Philadelphia and Las Vegas on Nov. 1.

Obama's last major public speaking engagement in Chicago will have occurred almost two years before his planned appearance, when he addressed tens of thousands in the city's Grant Park after winning the presidency in the 2008 elections.

Obama will spend Election Day itself in Washington, D.C., White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday.