**North Carolina Sees Robust Early Voting Turnout with Over Two Million Ballots Cast**

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina is witnessing a strong voter engagement as early voting progresses into its second week. According to the State Board of Elections, more than two million residents have already participated in the electoral process. Specifically, through Wednesday, 1,887,783 people have voted in early voting, while an additional 120,383 voters have submitted absentee ballots.

This early participation equates to a 25% voter turnout out of the state’s 7.79 million registered voters. Notably, the early voting numbers are up by 6.6% compared to the same period during the 2020 elections, a year that saw an unusually high number of absentee voters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Demographic data reveals that women are outpacing men in voter turnout, comprising 52% of the electorate so far compared to 42% for men. Moreover, nearly 6% of voters remain undesignated in terms of gender.

In terms of party affiliation, voter numbers are quite close. Republicans lead slightly with 686,628 votes, followed by Democrats at 683,265 votes. Additionally, 628,183 unaffiliated voters have also participated in the early voting process.

Early voting in North Carolina will continue until November 2nd. Voters are encouraged to find early voting locations in their respective counties to cast their votes ahead of Election Day.