Orange County nearly doubled its early voting turnout in 2018 when compared with the 2014 mid-term election.

The Orange County Board of Elections reported 43,253 votes were cast over the 18-day early voting period that concluded on Saturday. There were nine days of early voting in 2014 when 23,194 residents voted early.

Turnout spiked, as it typically does, on the final two days of early voting. Friday was the highest turnout during the early voting period for Orange County at 4,225 voters. Chapel of the Cross next to the UNC campus recorded 1,115 votes on Friday, the highest single-day turnout of any Orange County early voting location.

Over the course of the entire period, more votes were cast at Carrboro Town Hall than any of the other four early voting sites. The Carrboro location registered 11,379 votes. Two other sites eclipsed the 10,000-vote total: the Seymour Senior Center saw 10,656 voters and the Board of Elections office in Hillsborough was third at 10,197 votes.

Turnout was high across North Carolina for a mid-term election, especially for a “Blue Moon” election cycle where there was no US Senate race on the mid-term ballot. During the 2016 presidential election cycle, 59,766 votes were cast early in Orange County over a 15-day early voting period.

Election Day is Tuesday. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Any voter in line at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday will be allowed to vote, but voters must vote at their precinct.