The early voting period ended in North Carolina with a big surge on Saturday, pushing turnout to a blowout record of 4.4 million voters via absentee or in-person early voting. That represents 57% of the total number of registered voters in North Carolina.

Early Voting Across the State

Voters in the 25 western NC counties most affected by the devastation from Hurricane Helene did not allow the damage to voting infrastructure there to keep them from exercising their right to vote in this crucial election. Turnout in those counties actually outpaced the percentage achieved by the state as a whole—58.9%, or nearly two percentage points higher.

“I am proud of all of our 100 county boards of elections and the thousands of election workers who are making this happen in their communities,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “And I am especially proud of the workers and voters of Western North Carolina. You are an inspiration to us all.”

There now remains only the final Election Day opportunity to vote in North Carolina’s crucial 2024 elections—this Tuesday, November 5, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in all 100 counties. And the outcome in our state remains too close to call for president, most statewide offices, and key state legislative contests in swing districts around North Carolina.

Presidential Race

Encouragingly for environmental and climate action advocates, the final high-quality poll for North Carolina showed the presidential ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz with a narrow lead, and late-deciding swing voters trending in their direction. Harris holds a 48-46 lead over Trump in the last Sienna College/New York Times poll, released November 3, within the poll’s margin of error but a notable improvement over previous Sienna-Times recent polls. 

The well-regarded Elon University poll of North Carolina voters, released October 29, shows an even tie for Harris and Trump at 46% each. It also shows a sizable lead for Josh Stein over Mark Robinson for Governor, and narrower leads for Democratic nominees Rachel Hunt for Lt. Governor, Jeff Jackson for Attorney General, Elaine Marshall for Secretary of State, and Mo Green for Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

The bottom line: More than a million likely voters (and many more eligible voters) have not yet cast their votes this election in North Carolina. Both presidential campaigns are pushing hard to turn out the remaining voters in their favor. The outcomes in this election are still to be determined, based upon who works hardest and most effectively to turn out their voters on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.

Closing Message

The closing message for North Carolina’s environment and climate voters is this: In the presidential race and in key state contests, we can win. It’s up to us to use our own time and energy to help press our favored candidates across the finish line. Even more than usual, every vote counts in the still razor-thin margins. 

The consequences of another four years of Trump presidency, especially a Trump released from the checks imposed on him by officials of good conscience and commitment to the Constitution within his administration, are incalculable. At minimum, we lose a crucial four years of opportunity for progress on the climate crisis, and that four years cannot be recovered. More likely, we would also see a major dismantling of the federal laws and agencies which have been fundamental to decades of progress in protection of clean air and water, and four years of progress on the transition to a clean energy economy, climate action, and environmental justice.

We can win—and we cannot afford to lose.

The future of our people and our planet is on the line in this election.