North Carolina has made headlines by exceeding its early-voting record from the 2020 election. According to the State Board of Elections, over 4.2 million voters have cast their ballots at early in-person voting sites, demonstrating a significant increase in turnout compared to previous years.
Record Turnout Amid Hurricane Recovery
As reported, the turnout in western counties affected by Hurricane Helene has outpaced the rest of the state, with these areas recording a turnout rate of 58.9%, approximately 2% higher than the state average. Early in-person voting concluded on Saturday, reflecting a growing trend of voters opting for this method in the presidential battleground state.
Strong Participation Compared to Past Elections
In 2020, a total of 3.63 million voters participated in early voting across all 100 counties. This year, North Carolina exceeded that figure just days before the early voting period ended, indicating a robust interest in the upcoming election.
Overall Voter Engagement
As of Sunday morning, including absentee ballots, 4,465,548 voters had cast their ballots, representing 57% of the state’s 7.8 million registered voters. Officials noted that actual turnout might be slightly higher due to delays in data reporting.
Commendation for Election Workers
State Board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell praised the efforts of county election boards and workers, saying, “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. And I am especially proud of the workers and voters of Western North Carolina. You are an inspiration to us all.”
This year’s strong early turnout has been attributed in part to a concerted effort by state and national Republicans to encourage early voting, contrasting sharply with the previous election cycle when former President Donald Trump made unsubstantiated claims about mail-in voting fraud.
In addition to the presidential race, North Carolina voters are also selecting a new governor, attorney general, and various other statewide positions, as well as members of the U.S. House and state General Assembly.
(Includes inputs from online sources.)
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