RALEIGH, N.C. — Early voting in North Carolina is set to conclude on Saturday, but as of now, the number of individuals who have participated in early in-person voting has surpassed the total from the previous election cycle, based on data from the State Board of Elections.
In the autumn elections of 2020, a historically high count of 3.63 million voters took advantage of the 17-day early voting period available across numerous locations in all 100 counties. This year, that figure was eclipsed by late Thursday, with 3.71 million individuals having already cast their ballots in-person by early Friday morning, as noted by Executive Director of the Board, Karen Brinson Bell.
When factoring in traditional absentee ballots, alongside those from military and overseas voters through Thursday, the cumulative count of ballots rises to nearly 3.9 million, representing more than 49% of North Carolina’s 7.83 million registered voters. The overall voter turnout during the November 2020 elections stood at 75.2%.
The increasing preference for early in-person voting has been notable in this pivotal presidential state across various election cycles. At early voting locations, individuals have the opportunity to register and cast their votes simultaneously.
This year’s robust early turnout appears to have been fueled by initiatives from both state and national Republican parties encouraging residents to vote early. This marks a distinct shift from the previous election when former President Donald Trump asserted—without substantiation—that mail-in ballots led to widespread fraud.
Despite the fact that registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans statewide by 109,000, recent board data indicates that over 50,000 more Republican voters have participated in early voting or cast absentee ballots compared to their Democratic counterparts by Thursday.
Moreover, early in-person voting has seen significant participation in western counties that were impacted by severe flooding due to Hurricane Helene in late September. On the first day of voting, which began on October 17, all but four of the 80 early voting sites initially planned for the 25 affected counties were operational. Additionally, a new state law mandated that electoral boards in Henderson and McDowell counties increase the number of early voting locations this week.
“Voter turnout in the 25 counties affected by the Helene disaster is continuing to exceed statewide turnout,” stated Brinson Bell during a press briefing. “We are incredibly proud of that progress and hold great admiration for the resilient and strong individuals in western North Carolina.”
Next week, in addition to the presidential election, residents of North Carolina will also be selecting new officials, including the governor, attorney general, and several other key statewide positions, as well as representatives for the U.S. House and the state General Assembly.