Columbia College, which is located just across the street from Grant Park, canceled classes after 3 p.m. and will allow only students with a university identification card into college buildings after 6 p.m.

Roosevelt University, just down the street from Columbia, also is taking special precautions for the rally.

While Roosevelt is not canceling classes, the university will require students to show identification to enter buildings after 6:30 p.m., a university clerk said.

“You gotta have your ID to get in, or it’s not happening,” said Roosevelt junior Courtney Holmon.

Yet some students at Roosevelt said their professors had canceled classes today.

While the vast majority of Chicagoans are expected to vote for Obama, many of them said they won’t be downtown to witness Obama’s speech tonight.

Columbia College junior George Kupczak said he plans to head for his home in Oak Park, Ill., once his classes finish for the day. He said he’ll watch the rally on TV to avoid the traffic, crowds and possible mayhem downtown.

“I do not want to be down here during this madness,” he said. “Chicago’s one of those cities that, we get very excited about things, so I feel whether he wins or he loses, things could get crazy out here.”

But Mayor Richard Daley said he’s not expecting any problems tonight.

Daley said downtown will be open to whoever wants to show up. He said it would be unfair to stop people from participating in what will be a moment for the history books.

If Obama wins, America will have its first black president.

If Republican presidential candidate John McCain wins, the nation will have its first female vice president in running mate Sarah Palin and its oldest president in history with McCain.