North Carolina voters couldn’t wait to get to the polls this year, and in doing so, made history. Between the expansion of early voting sites and the ongoing pandemic making in-person voting risky for many, a record number of citizens cast ballots early or by mail. According to Michael Bitzer, elections data wizard and professor at Catawba College, by Monday 2020s early ballots had already reached a whopping 95 percent of 2016’s turnout.
“As if 2020 needed anything else to distinguish itself so far this year, the numbers of early votes have broken all the records in the Old North State,” Bitzer writes. “These numbers simply dwarf what was cast in 2016.”
Follow Raleigh News Editor Leigh Tauss on Twitter or send an email to ltauss@indyweek.com.
Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.
