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Stories and features about North Carolina candidates, voters, and the politics of the 2014 mid-term elections. Polls are open across N.C. until 7:30 p.m. on election day, November 4.

Early Voting Numbers Measuring Up Despite Law Changes

voting sign
Flickr creative commons

Early voters in North Carolina have just one more day to cast ballots ahead of Primary Day on May 6th.  The one-stop voting period ends around noon on Saturday.    

Board spokesman Josh Lawson says Thursday's voter totals have not yet been counted, but numbers through Wednesday have been encouraging. 

"We have 145,002 who have cast one-stop or early ballots," Lawson says.  "Now, this can be compared probably most accurately to the 2010 primary in which there were 173,972.  So. we're still -- with time remaining -- edging up to that total...and hopefully going to exceed it here."

Changes enacted last year by the General Assembly shortened the early-voting period. Lawson says this year's count comes even as that window shrunk by a week.

"It went from 17 days to 10.  Various locations throughout the state.  We actually had an increase in locations from 212 in the 2010 primary to 289 throughout the state this go round.  And though we had a 1.2 percent reduction in hours overall, we're seeing that participation remains strong," he says.

Lawson says the state board usually observes a flurry of activity on the last one-stop day which could help the turnout surpass the participation four years ago.

Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at News/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' NewsRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to News Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal’s reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas.
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