RALEIGH, N.C. — Candidates and other officials from North Carolina's major political parties are trying to build excitement among supporters as early in-person voting begins.
Voting sites were set to open in all 100 counties Thursday morning. Such voting continues until the afternoon of Nov. 5. Election Day is Nov. 8.
North Carolina Democrats planned the first stop of their "Vote For NC” bus tour on Thursday morning in Raleigh. U.S. Senate nominee Cheri Beasley and candidates for Congress, courts and the legislature were scheduled to attend with Gov. Roy Cooper, who isn't on this year's ballot.
Republican Senate candidate Ted Budd, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and South Carolina Sen. Rick Scott were the top names scheduled for an afternoon get-out-the-vote rally in Greensboro.
People registered to vote or who want to register can cast ballots at early-voting sites in their home counties during the 17-day period.
Already over 43,000 traditional absentee ballots have been cast — that's over three times the total at the same point during the 2018 midterm elections. It's a small fraction of the number of mail-in ballots cast at this point in 2020.
Overall, roughly 3.75 million people cast ballots in the 2018 general election — a turnout of 53%.
