GREENSBORO, N.C. — North Carolina voters are turning out in droves for the first day of early voting.
The State Board of Elections said nearly 230,000 people cast ballots on the first day of early voting as of 5:30 p.m. That number has now increased after polls closed at 7:30 p.m. and includes more than 272,000 ballots.
Officials said the number easily surpassed the total for the entire first day of early voting in 2016, when 166,000 ballots were cast statewide. Also, as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, nearly 553,000 mail-in ballots have been accepted in the state. That brings the combined total with early voting to more than 826,285 North Carolinians who’ve already voted in the general election which is about 11.3%.
Henderson County had nearly 1,900 voters who had cast ballots which was the most of any site in the state at their Board of Elections office site.
Voters experienced long wait times and some voting sites, and also a few disruptions around the state.
“The State Board is glad to see North Carolina voters taking advantage of the different options to cast a ballot,” Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections said.
“The county boards of elections and election workers worked diligently to ensure a successful first day of early voting. We thank them for their heroic efforts,” Bell said.
The in-person early voting period for the 2020 general election ends October 31.