More than 350,000 ballots have been cast in North Carolina on the first day of early voting, according to data reported by the state’s elections board.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections reported on its website that 353,166 ballots were cast Thursday as early voting began in the state.
That surpasses the 348,599 ballots cast on the first day of early voting in the Tar Heel State during the 2020 election, according to North Carolina political scientist Michael Bitzer.
Party registration for early, in-person voting was split, with Democrats at 36.3 percent, Republicans at 34.7 percent and unaffiliated at 28.6 percent, Bitzer noted in another post.
Another 75,133 absentee ballots were also cast Thursday, according to the state elections board.
Democrats have pushed for supporters to vote early to build up an advantage against a traditional GOP edge among voters who cast their ballots on Election Day.