Early voting ends Oct. 31 in North Carolina with strong turnout in Wake County

Early in-person voting in North Carolina began on October 15 and will conclude on October 31, WRAL reported. This early voting period allows residents to cast their ballots ahead of the November 3 midterm elections and register to vote if they missed prior deadlines.

According to data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, over 1.7 million voters have participated in early voting so far, marking a 42% increase compared to the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, mail-in voting has decreased by 34% during this time frame.

Wake County leads the state in early and mail-in ballots cast, with 222,894 votes recorded through Monday, representing about a 53% rise from 2022. Durham County has also seen a significant increase, with 77,203 ballots cast, up about 47%. Orange County reported 37,932 ballots, up approximately 38%, according to county election officials.

Voters in the Raleigh area and surrounding counties are encouraged to take advantage of early voting before the October 31 deadline. Information on polling locations and required photo ID is available to assist voters in completing their ballots.