Long lines greet voters during first day of early voting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) – The polls are now open in North Carolina.

At the New Hanover County Government Center this morning, long lines greeted voters who wanted to cast their ballots early.

Today marks the first of 17 days of one-stop absentee voting. Commonly known as early voting, this period allows any registered voter to cast an absentee ballot in person before Election Day.

The early voting period also offers “same-day registration,” allowing anyone eligible to vote who isn’t yet registered in their county of residence to register and vote at the same time at any early voting location in their county.

“North Carolinians have more opportunities to vote early this year,” said Kim Westbrook Strach, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We encourage voters to avoid Election Day lines by voting at one-stop or by mail. For those who missed the regular registration deadline, early voting offers a chance to both register and vote through November 5.”

Here you can find early voting sites by county. Dates and times vary by county, polling site and day.

To use same-day registration, a person must complete a voter registration application and show an election official proof of their address in the county. This “proof of address” may consist of one of the following: a North Carolina driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.

Early voting ends on Saturday, November 5.

County board of elections offices across North Carolina have scheduled more than 42,400 total hours of early voting for the 2016 general election, a 16 percent increase over 2012. Also, the 444 early voting locations statewide is a 21 percent increase over 2012.

In many counties, voters who want to beat longer Election Day lines also can take advantage of more evening hours and more Saturday and Sunday hours in 2016 compared to four years ago.

There were long lines in New Hanover and Pender Counties today.

“I was shocked and pleasantly surprised at all the people out here this early for open voting,” Cathy McFadden said. “I’ve seen lines, but nothing like this. I really didn’t expect it, but it is very hopeful.”

In 2012, the most recent presidential election year, more than 2.5 million North Carolina voters cast ballots at one-stop locations statewide. That number represented 56 percent of the total votes cast in the election.

As of Oct. 15, nearly 6.8 million people were registered to vote in North Carolina.

For more information, visit the State Board of Elections website.