North Carolina voters cast a record 2,816,821 early ballots during the 17-day early voting sprint, and the last day to vote is Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls open statewide at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
North Carolina early voting record
The total equals 35.7% of registered voters across North Carolina, up from 29.0% four years ago. That means more than one in three registered voters had already voted before Election Day, a pace that moved well ahead of the earlier cycle before the final day arrived.
Registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters accounted for nearly three-quarters of all early ballots. Unaffiliated voters made up 35% of the early vote, compared with 30% in 2022, while Registered Democrats held steady at 38% of the total vote.
Wake County and Mecklenburg County
Turnout was higher than 2022 in 97 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, showing that the surge was not limited to one region. Wake County led the state with more than 300,000 ballots cast, and Mecklenburg County had 275,954 early voters.
The county totals matter for anyone trying to gauge how much ballot volume still remains. A large share of the electorate has already voted, but Election Day still sets the final statewide window for voters who waited until the end of the process.
Registered Republicans and turnout shift
Registered Republicans made up 26% of early ballots, down from 31% four years ago. Turnout among Asian voters nearly doubled compared with 2022, turnout among Black voters reached nearly 600,000 ballots, and turnout among voters grouped under all other races was 2.3 times their 2022 pace.
The mix shows a stronger early-voting share among unaffiliated voters and Registered Democrats, even as the overall record came in before the final deadline. For voters who have not yet cast a ballot, the remaining choice is straightforward: vote on Election Day, when polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
