North Carolina voters showed up at early voting locations in unprecedented numbers during the 2014 midterm election, with more than 1.1 million early votes cast compared to 960,998 in the 2010 midterm election.
The 2014 midterm election is the first year that state voting law changes outlined in the 2013 Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA), including fewer days for one-stop early voting, were enacted.
According to a Nov. 3 press release issued by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, African American and unaffiliated voter turnout increased by more than 40 percent during 2014 election early voting. Overall voter participation increased by 20 percent.
Turnout among white voters increased by 1.5 percent.
Democrats constituted 48 percent of all early voters, while Republicans accounted for 32 percent.
Libertarian early voting turnout saw a 90 percent boost from the 2010 midterm election, but bringing in shy of 2,000 votes, formed less than half a percent of all early votes cast.
One-stop voting took place Oct. 23 to Nov.1. New Hanover County offered more than 300 hours of early voting at five locations during the 2014 midterm election.
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. Voters must cast ballots in their assigned precinct to count, another new requirement passed down in VIVA. Anyone in line when the polls close will be allowed to vote.
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