Pretty much every year I drop my ballot off on the day. That is mostly laziness / conflicting demands on time though. We'll see if it holds this year or not. I really like the idea that once I'm done filling it out I can just take it to a drop box. I'm certainly not going to mail it in.
I don't really see voting as any more risky then going to the grocery store.
Well, in some areas there have been 2-3+ hour waits. So, I would say that is more risky than going to the grocery store just due to how long you are around other people. Also, not everyone is going to get the time off on the day so early voting helps them.