Today is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. To commemorate, ministers with the Illinois Faith-Based Alliance are mobilizing people to vote early. The goal is to get 1,000 people to vote today across Cook County.

The morning started off at Evening Star Baptist Church on Chicago’s South Side. Rev. Walter Turner says presidential hopefuls should not take the black vote for granted.

TURNER: When we began to look at the significant of Dr. King’s birthday and began to look at the significance of our right to vote, our right to choose, we have a great opportunity now. We felt this was our opportunity to say to Dr. King, ‘Happy Birthday.’

Illinois’ primary is February 5. Statewide early voting started yesterday. Cook County Clerk David Orr says close to 5,000 people voted on Monday—a record number. He says Chicago’s own Barack Obama is probably a factor in the huge turnout.

At the Martin Luther King Center on 42nd and Cottage Grove, some senior citizens stood in line to vote. Mary Daniels and her friends voted early to avoid the crowds later, but MLK factored in, too.

DANIELS: That’s the reason I came today because we’re going to always celebrate his birthday. She was at the Lincoln Memorial when King’s birthday became a national holiday in 1986.

I’m Natalie Moore, Chicago Public Radio.