**Record Early Voting Numbers in North Carolina: Over 4 Million Ballots Cast**

The early in-person voting period in North Carolina, concluding this Saturday at 3 p.m., has exceeded the turnout from four years ago, as reported by the State Board of Elections. As of late Thursday, nearly 3.8 million people had already voted early in-person, surpassing the previous record of 3.63 million from the 2020 elections.

Including traditional absentee, military, and overseas ballots, the total number of ballots cast reached nearly 4.01 million by Friday afternoon. This figure accounts for more than 51% of North Carolina's 7.83 million registered voters, a significant turnout considering the overall voter turnout for the November 2020 elections was 75.2%.

Early in-person voting has gained popularity in the state over several election cycles. The practice allows residents to register and vote simultaneously at hundreds of sites across all 100 counties. This year, a concerted effort by state and national Republicans has encouraged people to vote early, a notable shift from the 2020 election when former President Donald Trump discouraged mail-in voting, citing unproven claims of fraud.

Interestingly, despite having 109,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans statewide, data from the board showed that, by Thursday, over 50,000 more Republican voters had opted for early voting or absentee ballots compared to their Democratic counterparts.

Western counties, recently impacted by historic flooding from Hurricane Helene in late September, have also seen remarkable voter turnout. Of the initially planned 80 early-voting sites across 25 counties, only four were not operational on the first day, October 17. New legislation enacted last week mandated additional early-voting sites in Henderson and McDowell counties.

"We are very proud to say that voter turnout in the 25 Helene disaster counties continues to outpace statewide turnout," said state board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell. "The resilience and determination of the people in western North Carolina is truly inspiring."

Next week, North Carolina residents will finalize their choices for a new governor, attorney general, various other statewide positions, and members of the U.S. House and state General Assembly.