KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — Before kicking off the weekly media availability on Friday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections had a milestone to announce.
"First things first today, I want to break some news. We have record breaking early voting turnout in North Carolina," said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the NC State Board of Elections.
As of Friday afternoon, almost 3.8 million people have cast their ballots in-person during the early voting period. The previous record was in 2020 when just over 3.6 million North Carolinian's got out to vote early. Early voting has become the most popular way to vote in recent election cycles and the state now has seen more than 50% of its registered voters head to the polls.
Watch: When to expect results on Election Night in Virginia and North Carolina
“We prepare that we are going to have busy early voting sites throughout the entire early voting period, and we have seen that, and I don't think that the remaining two days will be any exception to that," said Bell.
That turnout has also extended to the Outer Banks, where more than 25,000 people have voted in Currituck and Dare Counties. More than 16,000 in Dare County and more than 9,000 in Currituck County.
“This is the first time that we’ve ever come and voted early because for one thing when you go on election day it’s very crowded," said Susan Walters, who has lived in Dare County for 40-years.
Watch: Dare County sees heavy early voting turnout in first week
“Traditionally it was election day (when she voted) and as I got older and work was more demanding and the lines were starting to get longer I decided the last few elections to come out and do the early voting," said Melissa Herring, who has lived in Dare County for 22 years.
Dare County residents also have a lot of issues on their minds that are shaping the way they vote both nationally and in the state.
“I’m worried about the school systems, I’m worried about immigration, that’s a big deal to us," said Walters.
Watch: Currituck County sees strong early voting turnout
“With the Board of Education vote for North Carolina, that’s a big deal. I have a daughter in college in Raleigh and she is studying in education, she wants to be an educator and I feel passionate about putting my vote in that will help her in her career," said Herring.
As Election Day approaches, state officials are hoping to hit another milestone, breaking the 75% voter turnout they saw in 2020. The last day to vote early in North Carolina is on Saturday. An important reminder is that if you missed the registration to vote in the state, you can still register and vote in-person on Saturday but cannot vote on Election Day.
For early voting polling locations in Dare County head to this website. For the early voting polling location in Currituck County head to this website.
