Early voting numbers have already far surpassed numbers from this point in the 2022 midterm election, according to data from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. But the numbers don't just reflect voter enthusiasm — compared with data from the last midterm, it also seems to reflect voter anxiety.
There are also new rules and concerns around mail-in voting, likely dissuading some voters from going that route.
As of Oct. 21, the fifth day of early voting, over 106,109 voters in Mecklenburg County have gone to the ballot box, and 5,239 absentee-by-
mail ballots have been approved by the Board of Elections. Michael Dickerson, Mecklenburg County’s elections director, said that in 2022 the county didn’t hit 100,000 votes until day 10 of early voting.
Although the county’s population growth since 2022 is a factor in the increase, Dickerson said more people seem enthused to get out and vote. The absentee-by-mail numbers, though, tell a more complicated story.
Tuesday was the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail, except for sick or disabled voters. Dickerson told The Election Hub that for the 2022 midterm, 33,000 people requested absentee-by-mail ballots; this year, that number is just 18,200.
He said he believes the shift reflects increased anxiety about voting, particularly mail-in voting — and that many voters think the best way to ensure their vote counts is to vote early and in person.
The worries are not unfounded. In 2024, Jefferson Griffin, a Republican candidate for North Carolina Supreme Court, sought to throw out more than 65,000 votes — which included many mail-in ballots — after narrowly losing to Democrat Allison Riggs by 734 votes. He eventually conceded in 2025.
But the incident is still on many voters’ minds, especially those who lean Democratic. And recent threats to voting under the Trump administration have intensified those anxieties. In March, the president sought to restrict mail-in voting by ordering the U.S. Postal Service to block mail ballots from voters deemed ineligible. Although the effort was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court in September, Trump has still tried to codify the changes into law via the SAVE America Act, which has so far not passed. He has also declined to rule out sending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the polls to monitor elections.
“All the chatter that we’ve heard before about the DHS [Department of Homeland Security] and the post office and all that might have discouraged people, hence they said, ‘OK, we’re going to go vote early,’” Dickerson said.
Voters Must Follow Specific Instructions For Mail-In Ballots
UNC Charlotte political science professor Eric Heberlig also says that for anyone who votes by mail, sending their ballot early will be especially important this year, since the General Assembly passed Republican-led legislation that eliminated the three-day post-Election Day grace period.
“If voters want to vote by mail, they really need to prioritize getting it in the mail early so that it has sufficient time to arrive at their Board of Elections by Election Day,” Heberlig said.
Sending mail ballots in with ample time also helps ensure that if there are any issues with the ballot — for example, if the voter did not sign it — a county elections official can contact the voter to solve the problem. And if the ballot is “spoiled” — meaning if it’s damaged, not notarized or doesn’t have witness signatures — county elections officials will contact the voter to either cast a replacement mail-in ballot or come vote in person.
This year, because of the Republican-led state Board of Elections’ new measures, there’s an additional requirement: both the inner envelope containing the ballot and the outer envelope must be properly sealed. If the inner envelope is not sealed, the ballot is rejected and officials will try to contact the voter to tell them to start the process over again.
Republicans say it’s another step towards election security, while Democrats believe it creates an unnecessary barrier for voters who may not be aware of the rule.
Democratic leaders are also erring on the side of caution and encouraging voters to cast their ballots in person — and early — if possible.
“North Carolinians, please make a plan to vote this year, in person if possible. And if you’re voting by mail, make sure you seal both envelopes on your ballot. Don’t let them take away your vote,” Gov. Josh Stein wrote on X.
On the afternoon of Oct. 22, Dickerson told The Election Hub that, so far in Mecklenburg County, 259 mail-in ballots were rejected because the inner envelope was not sealed. Out of those 259 voters, so far, 60 have returned their replacement ballots and one has voted early in person.
Despite the worries surrounding mail-in voting, Dickerson said his staff is working to contact voters if anything goes awry — and at polls across Mecklenburg County, everything has gone well so far.
“I think it’s run quite smoothly,” he said. “I really have to applaud the voters…I really hope it [high turnout] continues.”
The election is Nov. 3. Early voting is until Oct. 31.
Rachel Black is a reporter and writer for The Election Hub. Reach her at rachel@theelectionhub.org.
For information on this and other races on the ballot in Mecklenburg, Gaston and Cabarrus counties and beyond, check out The Election Hub. It is a project of the Civic Knowledge Initiative, a nonpartisan nonprofit based in Charlotte that makes it easy for every citizen to find, understand and act on reliable information about their local government and elected officials.