GASTONIA, N.C. — Both presidential candidates will be in the Charlotte area on Saturday for the last day of early voting.
Former President Donald Trump is holding a rally at noon at the Gastonia airport while Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at night at PNC Pavilion in Charlotte.
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Gaston County’s elections director said the rallies impact voters.
“They go to these rallies and then they come back and they are enthused to vote regardless who the candidate they are voting for,” said Adam Ragan, the elections director at the Gaston County Board of Elections.
A record 3.8 million people voted early in person across North Carolina, surpassing the 2020 total.
Voters, including Loretta Barber, helped North Carolina set the new state record with more than half of registered voters casting their ballots early this year.
“Mostly, it’s just the crowds,” Barber said. “I didn’t want to be stuck in that crowd so I said I must be going out there today instead of Election Day.”
Although there are more registered Democrats than Republicans in the state, data from the North Carolina Board of Elections shows about 50,000 more Republicans have cast their ballots.
“Even the ones that think ‘I don’t have to go. It’s not going to do me any good.’ That’s not true,” Barber said. “It’ll do you some good, your family, everybody some good.”
Voter Michael Moody said it’s important to go to the polls.
“It’s to stand up for those relatives you may not know, your ancestors,” he told Channel 9. “It’s important to do what they could not. They went through a lot for us to have this right.”
Moody was at the Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library on Friday to vote.
“I got in and out fairly quickly, but I see the line is starting to kind of creep to the road toward Beatties Ford Road and around the block,” Moody said.
Moody said he’s proud of his vote and wants others to do their homework before heading to the polls.
“It’s not worth sitting around and listening to your friends, listening to TikTok. Make a decision for yourself,” Moody said.
In North Carolina, you can vote early from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
In South Carolina, you can vote from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
After that, you’ll have to wait to vote on Election Day at your specific polling place.
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