Trump and the Republican Party Place Their Trust in Historic Early Voting Turnout in North Carolina

During his final North Carolina rally for the 2024 campaign, former President Donald Trump confidently asserted that he would secure victory in the state where he had previously succeeded in 2016 and 2020.

“North Carolina has always been reliable for me,” stated Trump at Dorton Arena in Raleigh, the initial stop on a four-location tour on the eve of Election Day. “I’ve never lost here, and I don’t intend to start now.”

The Trump campaign placed significant emphasis on early voting nationwide. In North Carolina, in-person early voting commenced in all 100 counties on Oct. 17 and concluded on Nov. 2 at 3 p.m.

The previous record for early voting occurred in 2020, with over 3.6 million ballots submitted.

Combining absentee voting, a total of 4,465,548 voters—or 57 percent of the state’s 7.8 million registered voters—had cast their ballots by Nov. 3, as reported by the state board.

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Official turnout could potentially be even higher due to delays in data uploading after ballot submission.

Lorena Castillo-Ritz, chair of the Mecklenburg County GOP in a region centered around left-leaning Charlotte, indicated that the Trump campaign, conservative PACs, and her organization executed a “strong ground game” aimed towards “low-propensity voters” who were registered to vote but abstained from voting in 2020.

“When we succeed in mobilizing individuals who didn’t vote in the previous election, it accumulates and significantly influences the overall statewide numbers,” noted Castillo-Ritz in an interview with The Epoch Times.

“We are optimistic that by encouraging low-propensity voters in our vicinity and other urban zones throughout North Carolina to participate in the election, we can propel President Trump to victory here.”

First in Line

21-year-old HVAC professional Tony Caraccio from Asheboro was the first to arrive at the Election Day eve rally in Raleigh, showing up at midnight for Trump’s scheduled 10 a.m. speech. Caraccio is confident that Trump will benefit from the early voting numbers once the ballots are tallied.

“There was a substantial grassroots movement for early voting that we haven’t observed in recent cycles. The campaign learned from past errors and prioritized absentee ballots and early voting to ensure the election is too extensive to manipulate,” he commented.

“I was ineligible to vote in 2020 and believed I would miss the chance to vote for Trump. Although the circumstances were unfortunate, at least I got the opportunity to vote for him this time.”

Turnout in the 25 western North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene was recorded at 58.9 percent—approximately 2 percent higher than the statewide total, according to the state board.

Over the weekend, Trump commended the residents who participated in early voting in regions devastated by mudslides and flooding from Helene.

“Many of these individuals now lack shelter. The destruction is unprecedented. The majority affected are similar to supporters like Trump, and despite the immense devastation, they turned out in record numbers in the early voting phase,” Trump stated.

“The people of your state, the people of North Carolina, are exceptional. I anticipated achieving 50 percent of the 2020 voting numbers. Instead, they broke the record,” he expressed.

North Carolina, with 16 Electoral College votes, is a battleground state coveted by both candidates.

When Barack Obama defeated John McCain in 2008, he became the first Democratic presidential candidate to secure victory in North Carolina in 30 years. Trump emerged triumphant in 2016 and narrowly outpaced Biden by 1.3 percent of the vote in 2020.

Roy Cooper, a Democrat serving as governor since 2017, addressed the crowd in Raleigh before Kamala Harris took the stage; Attorney General Josh Stein, contesting to become governor against Republican nominee Mark Robinson, also delivered a speech.

On the eve of Election Day, Trump held a 1.3 percent lead over Harris in the Real Clear Politics average of polls.

The western areas of the state endured severe impacts from Hurricane Helene, experiencing flooding and mudslides that displaced numerous residents.

The mountain region of western North Carolina is typically considered a Republican stronghold.

Amid the surge of early Republican voters, the Harris campaign canceled $2 million in ad reservations in North Carolina media markets on Oct. 29, as per AdImpact. The following day, the campaign secured $2.7 million for an ad campaign.

The Carolina Journal reported that although Harris did not abandon the state, the campaign shifted focus to the Raleigh-Durham market.

In Charlotte on Nov. 2, Harris engaged with conservatives who were hesitant to support the former president.

“We recognize the opportunity in this election to move away from a decade of Donald Trump, who has strived to divide and instill fear in us,” Harris declared.

Harris assured that she will “represent all Americans, including those who do not vote for me,” emphasizing that “the vast majority of us have more in common than what divides us.”

She highlighted Trump’s focus on vengeance and personal interests, contrasting it with her commitment to prioritize the nation over party.

“Donald Trump will bear an enemies list” if elected, warned Harris.

“Upon my election, I will arrive with a to-do list, filled with top priorities that I will address for you, the American people,” she stated.

Voting Habits

Nathaniel Scripa relocated from Syracuse, New York to North Carolina in search of a more conservative state, he shared with The Epoch Times.

“Now, numerous individuals from New York and other liberal states are moving here, bringing their voting patterns, which is counterintuitive because the very liberal policies that resulted in the degradation of their home states are the reasons many migrated here,” he noted.

“This underscores the importance of early voting and mobilizing infrequent voters for this election,” he added.

Harris centered her rallies around the theme of “When We Vote, We Win.” Trump, conversely, believes that the surging Republican early voting numbers in North Carolina and nationwide, coupled with robust in-person voting on Election Day, will secure his triumph.

“Victory is in our hands,” Trump affirmed in Raleigh. “If we rally everyone to the polls, there’s nothing that can thwart us.”