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North Carolina sees surge in early voting turnout

An 'I voted early' sticker
WFDD File photo
Early voting in North Carolina runs through Saturday, Oct. 31.

Voters turned out in droves during the first weekend of in-person early voting in North Carolina.

About 486,000 North Carolinians have cast ballots in-person since Oct. 15. That’s about 50% more than at this point in the last midterm election cycle.

State election data shows registered Democrats account for nearly half of all votes cast so far, including absentee ballots. Unaffiliated voters represent nearly 35%, and Republicans account for 20%.

Historically, Democrats have made up the largest share of North Carolina’s early voters. But that changed in the 2024 presidential election, when Republicans outnumbered Democrats at early voting sites for the first time.

In-person early voting continues through Oct. 31.

April Laissle is a senior reporter and editor at WFDD. Her work has been featured on several national news programs and recognized by the Public Media Journalists Association and the Radio Television Digital News Association. Before joining WFDD in 2019, she worked at public radio stations in Ohio and California.