In the first four hours after polls opened, more than 11,000 people cast their ballots in Buncombe County, N.C. — one of the communities hard hit by Hurricane Helene in late September. Although the county is still recovering, 80 polling sites were up and running at 6:30 a.m., staffed by some 500 poll workers.

On the ballot for Western North Carolina voters are defining contests for the state, like the faceoff between Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, as well as races closer to home,

After a relatively smooth early voting period, the North Carolina State Board of Elections is reminding voters to be considerate at the polls on Election Day amid security concerns across the country.

North Carolina set a record during the early voting period, with nearly 4.5 million voters, or 57% of the state's registered voters, casting a ballot before Election Day. Karen Brinson Bell, director of the State Board of Elections (NCSBE),