RALEIGH, N.C. — On the first day of early voting in North Carolina, a significant number of residents participated, surpassing the turnout from the same day in 2020. This comes amid the ongoing recovery efforts in the western region of the state, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.
According to the State Board of Elections, a total of 353,166 individuals voted at over 400 early voting locations across the state on Thursday. This figure indicates an increase from the 348,599 who voted on the first day of early voting in October 2020.
Despite the uptick in the number of voters, the turnout as a ratio of the total registered voters was slightly diminished when compared with the first day four years prior. Thursday’s turnout represented about 4.54% of North Carolina’s 7.78 million registered voters. In contrast, the turnout percentage in 2020 was 4.78% of the then 7.29 million active registrants, as stated in data released by the board.
Voters in densely populated areas of the Piedmont region and in the mountainous areas, which were affected by severe flooding three weeks ago, faced long lines and crowded parking lots at polling sites. Fortunately, the board reported no significant voting issues on Thursday.
Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the state board, expressed optimism about the turnout, stating that it reflects an energized electorate who have confidence in the voting process. She noted that even the impact of a hurricane would not deter North Carolinians from voting. The clear and sunny weather on Thursday likely contributed to the robust turnout, according to election officials.
Hurricane Helene, which was the deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, wreaked havoc across remote Appalachian towns and resulted in at least 246 fatalities, with more than half of those deaths occurring in North Carolina.
While power has nearly been restored in western North Carolina, numerous residents are still struggling with the lack of access to clean running water. Nonetheless, almost all early voting locations—76 out of the 80 originally scheduled in the 25 counties most affected by the hurricane—were operational on Thursday.
Bill Whalen, a 75-year-old voter from Asheville, acknowledged the disruption caused by the hurricane but emphasized that his community understands the critical nature of the election and the importance of participating in it.
The early voting phase, which runs until November 2 across all 100 counties, remains exceptionally popular in North Carolina. In the 2020 general election, around 3.6 million ballots, representing 65% of total votes, were cast during the early voting period.
Absentee voting commenced several days prior to the arrival of Hurricane Helene. By Thursday, over 75,000 absentee ballots had been received from voters within the state, as well as from military and overseas voters.
In addition to the presidential race, the North Carolina ballot features contests for governor, attorney general, and other statewide offices. All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the North Carolina General Assembly are also up for reelection.
