Early In-Person Voting in North Carolina Exceeds 2020 Total

Source: US News and World Report/AP

Nov. 1, 2024, at 3:02 p.m.


RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Early in-person voting in North Carolina ends on Saturday, but the number of people who've cast ballots by this method already has exceeded the total from four years ago, according to the State Board of Elections. For the fall 2020 elections, a record 3.63 million people voted during the 17-day early-voting period at hundreds of sites in all 100 counties.

This year, the state exceeded that total by late Thursday, with 3.71 million people casting early in-person ballots as of early Friday, said board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell. When traditional absentee, military and overseas voter ballots are included through Thursday, the number rises to nearly 3.9 million ballots — more than 49% of the state's 7.83 million registered voters. Overall voter turnout for the November 2020 elections was 75.2%.

Early in-person voting, which ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, has become increasing popular in the presidential battleground state over several election cycles. People can simultaneously register to vote and cast ballots at early voting sites.

This year's strong early turnout has come partly in response to a push by state and national Republicans to get people to vote early. Their message marks a sharp contrast to the 2020 election, when former President Donald Trump — without any evidence to back the claim — said mail-in voting was rife with fraud.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2024-11-01/early-in-person-voting-in-north-carolina-exceeds-2020-total