Early voting up across North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Local party leaders believe the attention that both presidential candidates are getting is pushing more people to the polls to vote early. Mecklenburg County is seeing an average of roughly 21,000 voters each day.

In the past 10 days, campaign surrogates Eric Trump and Anthony Foxx shook hands at early-voting sites. Their visits were part of both parties' strategies to get more voters to the polls early.

"I think they're definitely emphasizing it, we're getting information in the mail, you see it on TV," voter Maureen Stonebraken said.

Early voter Yolanda Jenkins has been receiving daily text reminders.

Political expert Michael Bitzer said early voting is up 7 percent statewide over the 2012 election.

"It's convenient," she said.

She waited an hour at University City library Monday but like many, she's concerned about even longer lines on Election Day.

The chair of the county's Democratic Party is attributing high turnout rates to the ease of early voting.

"We fought very hard about three months ago to ensure we at least had equivalent number of hours as we had in 2012," Matt Newton said.

Political consultant Larry Shaheen Jr. said it's a result of the hype over the candidates.

"I think it's due to the high amount of media been given to the election as well as early voting coverage due to the court cases," he said.

Many voters said they weren't moved by the FBI's investigation into a new batch of emails connected to Hillary Clinton's server.

They called it one more bombshell in a wild election.

"I've reconsidered my vote about 12 times," Stonebraken said.

Officials expect the high turnout to continue through Saturday.

They want voters to remember that the polls close Saturday at 1 p.m., not 5 p.m. as they did in the past.

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