North Carolina hits record early voting with 4.2 million ballots

North Carolina reaches an unprecedented early voting milestone with 4.2 million ballots cast, marking a historic level of voter turnout. This record-breaking engagement underscores heightened voter participation in the state, highlighting significant public interest and involvement ahead of Election Day.

North Carolina residents are voting for roles such as governor, attorney general, and other statewide positions. They’re also choosing representatives for seats in both the US House and the state’s General Assembly.

North Carolina has reached a new early voting milestone, with over 4.2 million ballots cast at in-person sites, as reported by the Associated Press. The State Board of Elections announced on Sunday that this turnout surpassed the previous high set in 2020, with especially high participation in western counties affected by Hurricane Helene.

Early in-person voting, which closed on Saturday, has grown increasingly popular in North Carolina, a critical presidential battleground, over recent election cycles. This voting method allows residents to both register and vote at early polling locations.

By Thursday, just days before the early voting period ended, the state had already surpassed the 2020 record of 3.63 million early voters across all 100 counties, according to the board. Including absentee ballots, a total of 4,465,548 voters — approximately 57% of North Carolina’s 7.8 million registered voters — had cast ballots as of Sunday morning. Officials mentioned that this figure could be slightly understated due to occasional delays in data entry.

In the 25 western counties impacted by Hurricane Helene, turnout reached 58.9%, about 2% higher than the state average, officials noted. Karen Brinson Bell, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, commended the work of local election officials and voters, stating, “I am proud of all of our 100 county boards of elections and the thousands of election workers who are making this happen in their communities.”

Bell added, “And I am especially proud of the workers and voters of Western North Carolina. You are an inspiration to us all.”

This year’s rise in early turnout was partially driven by a concerted effort from both state and national Republicans to encourage early voting, a shift from the 2020 election, when former President Donald Trump questioned mail-in voting’s security without evidence.

In addition to the presidential race, North Carolina residents are voting for positions such as governor, attorney general, other statewide offices, and seats in the US House and state General Assembly.

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Source: indianexpress ‍