North Carolina Early Voting Begins With High Turnout
North Carolina voters began casting early ballots on October 16, with Buncombe County reporting a 50% increase in first-day turnout over 2022.
Early voting commenced across North Carolina on October 16 for the general election scheduled for November 3. The opening day saw significant participation, particularly in Buncombe County, where more than 7,000 people cast ballots. This figure represents a more than 50% increase compared to the first day of the 2022 midterms.
In Buncombe County, registered Democrats led the first-day turnout with over 3,500 votes, followed by unaffiliated voters with approximately 2,800 and Republicans with about 680. Meanwhile, more than 1,600 voters cast ballots across six polling locations in Robeson County.
Jessica Davis, Director of the Robeson County Board of Elections, confirmed that the process proceeded without operational issues or machine failures. Early voting continues in both counties through October 31, with state law requiring voters to present an acceptable photo ID.
