More than 10,000 Rutherford County voters cast ballots ahead of Election Day

Statewide early and absentee voting exceeds 2.1 million; election officials urge voters to report problems directly to poll workers.

More than 10,000 Rutherford County voters had cast ballots through Oct. 28, according to a North Carolina State Board of Elections report showing statewide participation running ahead of the comparable point in the 2022 general election.

Rutherford County recorded 10,136 ballots, including 9,851 cast during in-person early voting. The remaining ballots included 250 civilian absentee ballots, five military ballots and 30 overseas ballots.

As of earlier in the month, state records showed just over 40,000 "active" registered voters in the county.

For turnout nearby, McDowell County reported 8,182 ballots, Polk County reported 5,804 and Cleveland County reported 15,950.

The figures appear in the State Board’s Oct. 29 report and reflect voting through Oct. 28. They are participation totals, not results showing how people voted.

Across North Carolina, 2,150,024 ballots had been cast — representing 27.24% of the state’s 7,892,848 registered voters listed in the report.

That was 564,036 more ballots, an increase of about 35.6%, compared with the 1,585,988 accepted ballots reported at the comparable point in 2022. The comparison measures voting before Election Day and does not establish whether final turnout will exceed the previous midterm election.

In-person early voting accounted for 2,073,467 ballots statewide. Another 76,557 came from civilian, military and overseas mail voters.

Registered Democrats accounted for 856,352 ballots, or 39.83% of those cast. Unaffiliated voters accounted for 744,744 ballots, or 34.64%, while registered Republicans accounted for 543,174, or 25.26%. Libertarian and Green Party voters accounted for the remainder.

Those figures identify voters’ registrations, not their candidate choices. Voters may support candidates from any party in a general election.

As voting continues, the State Board is encouraging voters to bring questions and concerns directly to election officials.

“If you are at a voting site, talk to a poll worker,” the board said. Poll workers can address questions immediately or refer them to the chief judge or county board of elections. Voters who feel harassed or intimidated should notify an election official immediately. In an emergency, voters should call 911 and alert a poll worker, according to the NCSBE.

The board also reminded voters that outside organizations’ election hotlines are not operated by election officials. Voters with questions away from a polling place should contact their county elections office. County contact information is available at vt.ncsbe.gov/BOEInfo.

In-person early voting ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Voters can find locations and schedules through the State Board’s early voting site search.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters should use their assigned polling place, according to the State Board’s election primer.

Election-night results will be unofficial. County boards will review eligible outstanding ballots, conduct required audits and hold their canvass meetings at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13