Record-setting early-vote period ending in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Early in-person voting is ending in North Carolina, where records have been smashed by those who preferred not to vote at their Election Day precincts.

Early voting sites in all 100 counties were set to close at 3 p.m. Saturday. Jill Biden, the wife of Joe Biden, and Vice President Mike Pence scheduled campaign events in the state on Saturday. Biden planned to be in Greensboro and Charlotte, while Pence was heading to the Rocky Mount-Wilson area and Elizabeth City.

Over 4.3 million North Carolina residents had voted as of early Saturday — 3.4 million in person and 900,000 through mail-in ballots. The total surpasses the 3.1 million early votes recorded during the entire 2016 presidential election and equates to 59% of all registered voters.

The highest election turnout in recent state history was 69.5% in 2008. Registered voters can still vote in person on Tuesday or postmark their mail-in ballots by that day.