New Hanover County municipal elections see record turnout

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Following Election Day, the New Hanover County Board of Elections says turnout was great throughout the election season.

The county saw a more than 50% increase in the number of early voters this year, compared to the last municipal election in 2023.

This year, more than 12,000 early voting ballots were sent in, compared to about 8,000 two years ago.

The record turnout continued on Tuesday, according to Lise Wurtzbacher, a special assistant to the county’s Board of Elections.

“The elections have gone really smooth today,” Wurtzbacher said. “We’re excited that so many people have come out to vote. As of 4 o’clock, we had over 10,000 voters come out.”

She said that there had been some minor issues, including confusion about the location of several polling stations, but overall, the election went well.