CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – It’s officially early voting season for the primary election.
According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, 113, 066 ballots were cast in the state in the first week. The turnout percentage is about one percent.
By the end of the 2020 primary, over 2 million ballots were cast and there was a 31.19 turnout percentage.
Orange County has recorded 1,961 ballots in the first week.
A key race in the state is the battle for governor, which is projected to be a fight between Democrat and current attorney general Josh Stein and Republican lieutenant governor Mark Robinson. Robinson is endorsed by former President Trump.
Meredith poll director David McLennan says that the state has a history of backing republican presidents and democratic governors.
A Meredith poll shows that a matchup between Stein and Robinson projects Stein taking a slight lead over his potential republican opponent.
Other races include attorney general. Dan Bishop is the only republican running. Three democrats are fighting to get on the general election ballot. Congressman Jeff Jackson is the frontrunner.
The State Board of Elections said that they had not heard of voters running into problems while voting such as waiting in long lines or have issues with photo identification.
Early voting ends Saturday March 2nd. Election day will occur on March 5th, when 16 states will determine their primary results.