North Carolina sets statewide early voting turnout record

KEEL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — Before the weekly media release began Friday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections had to announce a major milestone.

“Today, first of all, I want to share some news. We have record early voting turnout in North Carolina,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

As of Friday afternoon, nearly 3.8 million people had voted in person during the early voting period. The previous record was set in 2020, when just over 3.6 million North Carolinians turned out to vote early. Early voting has become the most popular way to vote in recent election cycles, with more than 50% of registered voters now going to the polls in the state.

Watch: When to Expect Election Night Results in Virginia and North Carolina

When to Expect Election Night Results in Virginia and North Carolina

“We’re preparing for the possibility that we’ll have busy early voting sites throughout the entire early voting period, and we’ve seen that, and I don’t think the remaining two days will be any exception to that,” Bell said.

That turnout also extended to the Outer Banks, where more than 25,000 people voted in Currituck and Dare counties. More than 16,000 in Dare County and more than 9,000 in Currituck County.

“This is the first time we’ve come out and voted early because, number one, when you go on Election Day, it’s very crowded,” said Susan Walters, who has lived in Dare County for 40 years.

Watch: Dare County sees high early voting turnout in first week

Early Voting Update in Dare County

“Traditionally it was Election Day (when she voted), and as I got older, work got more demanding and the lines started getting longer, I decided the last few elections would be early voting,” said Melissa Herring, who lived in the county Dare is 22 years old.

Dare County residents also have many issues that shape how they vote at both the national and state levels.

“I’m concerned about the school system, I’m concerned about immigration, it’s very important to us,” Walters said.

Watch: Currituck County sees high turnout for early voting

Currituck County sees high turnout for early voting

“Because the Board of Education voted for North Carolina, this is a big deal. I have a daughter who is in college in Raleigh and she’s a teacher who wants to be a teacher and I’m excited to give my vote to help her in her career,” Herring said.

As Election Day approaches, state officials hope to reach another milestone, surpassing the 75% voter turnout they saw in 2020. The last day for early voting in North Carolina is Saturday. An important reminder is that if you missed registering to vote in your state, you can still register and vote in person on Saturday, but you will not be able to vote on Election Day.

To find out about early voting locations in Dare County, visit this website. To find out about an early voting location in Currituck County, visit this website.