ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — More than 7,000 Buncombe County voters cast ballots Thursday on the first day of early voting for the Nov. 3 general election.
A total of 7,049 people voted at the county’s 13 early voting locations Oct. 15, according to the Buncombe County Board of Elections’ daily turnout report. That’s 3.2% of the county’s registered voters.
South Buncombe Branch Library was the busiest location, with 877 voters, just four more than Weaverville Community Center.
East Asheville Branch Library was next with 767 voters, followed by Enka/Candler Branch Library with 734. North Asheville Branch Library recorded 711 voters, while West Asheville Branch Library had 709.
Upper Hominy Fire & Rescue Department had the lightest turnout, with 81 voters.
Who voted Thursday?
Registered Democrats accounted for just more than half of Thursday’s voters.
Of the 7,049 people who cast ballots, 3,561 were registered Democrats, or about 50.5%. Another 2,800 were unaffiliated, while 680 were registered Republicans.
Six Libertarians and two Green Party voters also cast ballots.
The numbers reflect voters’ party registrations, not which candidates they supported.
Registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans at all 13 early voting locations.
Weaverville Community Center had the most unaffiliated voters, with 365, followed by South Buncombe Branch Library with 358 and Enka/Candler Branch Library with 330.
Enka/Candler had the most registered Republican voters, with 105, while Weaverville recorded the most registered Democrats, with 421.
Early voting continues through Oct. 31
Early voting continues through Saturday, Oct. 31, when polls close at 3 p.m.
Buncombe County voters can cast ballots at any of the county’s 13 early voting locations. Those who missed the regular voter registration deadline can also register and vote during early voting.
The county notes that current-day turnout figures do not include same-day registrations, so the numbers could change as those registrations are processed.