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Bucking past trends, Republicans are outpacing both Democrats and unaffiliated voters during the early voting period.

More than half of NC voters have already cast ballots, early voting ends Saturday afternoon

DEVELOP WORDLE SHOW YOU COMING UP. ALL RIGHT, MIKE, THANKS. >> NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS ARE SMASHING RECORDS THIS ELECTION SEASON AS OF 02:00PM TODAY ABOUT 3.8 MILLION VOTERS HAVE CAST BALLOTS IN PERSON DURING EARLY VOTING. THAT BEATS THE PREVIOUS RECORD SET IN TWENTY-TWENTY WRAL'S CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA LESLIE JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM ONE OF THE BUSIEST EARLY VOTING SITES IN RALEIGH WITH WHO'S VOTING EARLY AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR THE OUTCOME. MARA? DEBRA, YOU KNOW, THE TRUTH IS HONESTLY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS AS BECAUSE THERE'RE SOME POINTS IN THE DATA THAT LOOK REALLY GOOD FOR REPUBLICANS. THERE EITHER POINT TO LOOK REALLY GOOD FOR DEMOCRATS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF BRAND NEW VOTERS WHO ARE UNAFFILIATED. SO WE HAVE NO IDEA. >> LIKE SO MANY THINGS IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE, IT'S JUST UNCHARTED TERRITORY. >> OUR WRAL NEWS POLL ASKED 853 LIKELY VOTERS HOW THEY PLAN TO VOTE THIS ELECTION. 3 OUT OF 4 REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS SAID THEY PLAN TO VOTE EARLY BY MAIL OR IN PERSON UNAFFILIATED WERE ABOUT 10% LESS LIKELY TO. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT WHICH VOTERS ACTUALLY HAVE VOTED EARLY SO FAR, IT'S NEARLY A 3 WAY TIE WITH REPUBLICANS SLIGHTLY AHEAD AND UNAFFILIATED EDGING OUT DEMOCRATS CATAWBA COLLEGE POLITICAL SCIENTIST MICHAEL BITZER SAYS THAT'S HIGHLY UNUSUAL. >> UNAFFILIATED THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK. WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS. IT'S BEING DRIVEN BY YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THAT COHORT AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THIS KIND OF EVEN SPLIT THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN GOING INTO THE END OF EARLY VOTING. BITTER SAYS WHO THESE EARLY VOTERS ARE HAS STARTED TO SHIFT IN THESE CLOSING DAYS. SO FAR, WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE MORE WHITE. THEN THE VOTER REGISTRATION COOL, MORE FEMALE, MORE SUBURBAN SLIGHTLY OLDER, BUT THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS, PARTICULARLY GEN Z AND MILLENNIALS ARE STARTING TO CATCH UP BETTER, SAYS THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW WHICH PARTY THIS RECORD BREAKING SURGE FAVORS. REPUBLICANS ARE LEADING, BUT HE SAYS MOST OF THOSE ARE NOT NEW VOTERS. >> MANY ARE SIMPLY VOTING EARLIER THIS YEAR THAN IN THE PAST AFTER DONALD TRUMP URGED THEM TO FOR THE TRULY NEW VOTERS. THOSE WHO DIDN'T CAST BALLOTS, IT'S UNAFFILIATED CENTER DOMINATING THAT PARTICULAR SEGMENT OF THE EARLY VOTING POOL. >> NOW HERE AT CHAVIS, WE'VE SEEN A PRETTY STEADY STREAM OF PEOPLE ALL AFTERNOON. BUT NO LONG LINES. HOWEVER, ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO VOTE TOMORROW, THE LINES MAYBE LONGER. JUST REMEMBER, YOU CAN VOTE AT ANY EARLY VOTING SITE IN YOUR COUNTY AND WAKE COUNTY AND MOST OTHER COUNTIES HAVE A WAIT TIME TRACKER ON THEIR COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS WEBSITE. SO YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH SITE NEAR YOU HAS THE

Demographics show shift in who is voting early in NC

Early voting in Cary

Bull City United discontinued: Durham County leaders terminate anti-violence program

Bull City United

Asheville hotels and restaurants reopening after Helene. Here's what's different

Asheville Has Tap Water, but No One Knows When It Will Be Drinkable

Police investigating bank robbery on Avent Ferry Road in Raleigh

Bank robbery at Avent Ferry Road

Fraud alert: Raleigh police say person is falsely claiming that voting can be done using a phone

City of Raleigh police

Woman hit by car after fight in downtown Raleigh neighborhood 

Woman hit by vehicle in Raleigh neighborhood near downtown

Presidential candidates return to NC for final weekend of campaign

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HSOT Game of the Week: Statesville @ (3) Hickory

Outdated FEMA flood maps labeled thousands of North Carolina homes as "low risk," leaving residents blindsided when Hurricane Helene flooded their communities. One survivor's story reveals why accurate flood risk data is more urgent than ever.


Swept away: North Carolina mother battles for help as flood maps fall short

WRAL reporter Liz McLaughlin stands with homeowner Melinda Williams where her home once stood in Banner Elk, before floodwaters from Hurricane Helene destroyed it

A health care cyberattack reported by WRAL News in March has turned into the biggest health information hack in U.S. history. 



Biggest health information hack in US history impacts 100 million people

Stethoscope

Former President Donald Trump, hoping to win North Carolina for the third time in three elections, will visit the Tar Heel State on the eve of Election Day.

Trump coming to Raleigh's Dorton Arena, other NC sites in final swing through battleground state

Why Is Trump Campaigning in New Mexico and Virginia?

James Garner, 20, is charged with statutory rape of a child.

Man arrested, charged with rape of minor in Fayetteville

In the 2024 primary election, North Carolina officials were forced to throw out more than 1,100 people's ballots because the mail delivered them after the election.

Haven't mailed your NC ballot yet? You may need to vote a different way. Here are options

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Officers are searching Friday for Johnathan Mabe, an inmate who escaped from Sanford Correctional Center, a minimum-security prison facility in Lee County.



Inmate escapes from Sanford Correctional Center in Lee County

Johnathan Mabe

November starts out warm, dry and pleasant, with temperatures reaching the 80s on Friday afternoon. 

Cooler weekend coming; some could see sprinkles Friday night

Warmer than normal start for November 2024

A Wake Forest woman was charged Friday with removing Donald Trump campaign signs. 



People charged with vandalizing, stealing Trump campaign signs in Triangle

Amid National Tension, a Man Placing Trump Signs Is Attacked in Michigan

Less than one-quarter of likely Republican voters expressed full confidence that their votes will be accurately counted, and 40% said they had little to no confidence. Elections officials are trying to combat election skepticism.

NC voters trust election results, but partisan divides linger, WRAL News Poll shows

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) â A gunman who opened fire during a Halloween street celebration that drew thousands of costumed revelers to downtown Orlando killed two people and wounded seven others early Friday, authorities said.

Shootings kill 2 and wound 7 during Halloween celebrations in Orlando

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The SPCA of Wake County has reduced adoption fees for adult dogs by 50% to help more animals find forever homes.



SPCA of Wake County cuts adoption fee for adult dogs 50% to help WNC

Time to fall back! Daylight Saving Time ends 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3.


Clocks 'fall back,' Daylight Saving Time ends Nov. 3

Miniature alarm clock

A new map shows which portions of western North Carolina are open for tourists.



Map shows parts of western NC open for tourism

Love for western North Carolina

The first weekend of November is filled with holiday shopping opportunities, plus the final food truck rodeo at Durham Central Park for the year!



Weekend best bets: Durham Food Truck Rodeo, holiday fairs

Durham Food Truck Rodeo

The full marathon is set to start at 7 a.m. Sunday. There will be street closures in downtown Raleigh and along Hillsborough Street.

2024 City of Oaks Marathon guide: Everything you need to know before Sunday's races

City of Oaks Marathon on Nov. 5, 2023.

Triangle Food Guy Sean Lennard has the update on a new place for Q and a rooftop addition in Raleigh's North Hills.


Foodie News: BBQ lovers rejoice + a new outlook in North Hills

Big Mike's BBQ at View Bar

Don't Miss It

Cary voters will see whether to fund a $300 million community center and sports complex when they go to vote.

Funding for $300 million sports and recreation community center up to Cary voters

Presidential candidates return to North Carolina for final weekend before Election Day

Cumberland County Veterans Day Parade to honor Native Americans who served

Emergency operations plans will help hotels reopen in western NC

NC mother fights for help after flood maps fell short during Helene

City of Oaks Marathon set for Sunday morning in downtown Raleigh

Video Central

WRAL 6am News | November 1

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WRAL Noon News | November 1

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WRAL 10pm News | October 31

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Funding for $300M sports and recreation community center at South Hills up to Cary voters

Local News

Microsoft makes major land buy in Person County

Veteran's Day parade in Fayetteville honors Native Americans who served 

Benson man killed in crash on NC 50, dog escapes with minor injuries

FBI links video falsely depicting voter fraud in Georgia to 'Russian influence actors'

Nation/World

US employers added just 12,000 jobs last month as hurricanes and strikes sharply reduce payrolls

Rapper Young Thug is a free man. Here are things to know about his plea.

Mass shooting in Orlando: 2 dead, 6 hurt, 17-year-old arrested

Spiritual, not spooky. After Halloween, Christians observe All Saints' Day

A new exhibit, "Journey to Space," opens Saturday, Nov. 2, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.


Journey to Space: New exhibit opening at NC Museum of Natural Sciences

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 

Five state parks reopen in western NC, including Grandfather Mountain and Lake Norman

Lake Norman

Silly, super, surprising: Share your Halloween costumes

Haley's first Halloween in Nashville

28-foot-tall Christmas tree delivered to Biltmore, reopening after Helene

Biltmore_Helene_What_to_Know_15923

Out & About

Dan Bishop ad claims Jeff Jackson 'embraced' sex offender. 5 questions, answered.

Politifact

Fact check: Moore says the White House didn't call him after Helene hit North Carolina

Fact-checking Kamala Harris' 'closing argument' speech at the White House Ellipse

Fact check: No, a former military leader wasn't arrested in North Carolina amid Helene relief efforts

Fact check: Grafstein says Lassiter 'repeatedly campaigned' for large school funding cuts

WRAL News Poll shows how much trust NC voters have in elections

NC Capitol

GOP VP nominee JD Vance speaks at rally in Selma

Most statewide executive offices will have new leaders. NC voters will decide how many.

A larger look at election security across the US

Caught on camera: Man seen ripping up Harris-Walz signs at Raleigh early voting site

NC superintendent race remains close as Election Day approaches

Education

Real estate owners offer land for E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville

Where to build new E.E. Smith High School? Cumberland County community debates new location

NC superintendent race remains narrow as Election Day approaches, WRAL News Poll finds 

COVID-19 led to extra college eligibility. Those 5th-year players are set for their last runs

Cameron grandmother calls for Maytag oven recall after her stove explodes

WRAL In Depth

The majority of the Wake school board is up for election this year. Here's who's running

Franklin County voters notice wrong races on early ballots

WRAL Investigates: Why some veterinarians face minor charges for deadly mistakes

Raleigh mayor race: Affordable housing, public safety top issues for city's next leader

Breast cancer survivor and mom of NBA stars thanks Coach K for unwavering support

WRALSportsFan

Roslovic, Svechnikov each score twice to help the Hurricanes rout the Bruins 8-2

Alex Ovechkin scores his 858th goal and is on pace to break Wayne Gretzky's record this season

Garrett Wilson makes eye-popping TD catch, Jets beat Texans 21-13 to snap 5-game skid

Eric Phoenix runs for TD, throws 2 TD passes to Caden High; SC State beats NC Central 24-21 

NC high school football scoreboard: Week 11

HighSchoolOT

Every NCHSAA football playoff clinching scenario in week 11

Watch 8-1 Statesville vs. No. 3 Hickory in the HighSchoolOT Game of the Week

Predicted winners for all 190 games in week 11 of the high school football season

Undefeated Watch: Week 11 features 25 perfect teams, 2 matchups between unbeatens

Raleigh police responded Thursday to Optimist Park early voting site, where witnesses saw a voter shouting at several other voters and volunteers and tearing up campaign signs in support of Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

Man caught on video removing, ripping up Harris-Walz signs outside Raleigh early voting site

Caught on camera: Man rips Harris-Walz signs

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley explains how Republicans are trying to win North Carolina's 16 Electoral College votes.

RNC chair talks strategy week before presidential election

Michael Whatley

Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein continues to lead Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson by double digits in the race for North Carolina governor, a WRAL News Poll released Wednesday shows.

WRAL News Poll shows NC governor's race has largest gender gap on ballot

Josh Stein, Mark Robinson, candidates for North Carolina governor 2024

On Wednesday, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are making a late push for support in the tight race in North Carolina. Harris is coming to Raleigh while Trump will speak in Rocky Mount.

Presidential candidates rally in NC as Election Day nears

Voters fill out their ballots during the early voting period.

Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison explains how Democrats are trying to win North Carolina's 16 Electoral College votes.

DNC chair talks strategy week before presidential election

The board won't consider a districtwide policy for a few months but will consider focus group and survey feedback on whether the district needs uniform restrictions across schools on cellphones.

'We can do better': Wake school board leaning toward cellphone policy, but not before public input

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WRAL Specialists

5 On Your Side: Updating home fire detection

5 On Your Side Restaurant Ratings: Chilango, Hardee's & Another Broken Egg

60,000 Wawa-branded tumblers recalled because their metal straws can cut customers

Maytag oven explodes: How 5 On Your Side helped a local grandmother

5 On Your Side

Durham County ends Bull City United program

Nebraska man charged with human trafficking victims in Durham also under investigation for fraud

WRAL Investigates: Why some veterinarians face minor consequences for deadly errors

1,700 fire safety violations: Wake County schools cited for failing to inspect fire alarms, sprinklers

Investigations

Mike Walden: For third month, NC leading indicators are lower

Wilmington's Artemis Immersive wins NC Tech award for groundbreaking 3D healthcare app

'Permanent downsizing': Raleigh, Durham among top work-from-home destinations, as office vacancies rise

Greg Behr: Bluey offers lessons for effective community relations

WRAL TechWire

Headphones track brain waves as you listen

'Operation Save Christmas' underscores challenges for Christmas tree growers in western NC after Helene

Average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the US rises for fifth straight week

US applications for jobless benefits fall as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels

Business

Powerball

Mega Millions

Cash 5

Go Ask Dad: Bobbing for joy

Family

Sculptors turn massive pumpkin into work of art

What to do with your leftover Halloween candy

Trick-or-treat safety tips: Drivers, darkness the biggest threats for kids this Halloween 

'Wind phones' offer new way for grieving family, friends to connect with deceased loved ones 

Top Amazon deals: Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Vacuum only $99.95 (55% off), Ninja Mega Kitchen System only $99.99 (50% off), Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet only $84.99 (53% off), Hanes Men's Boxer Briefs 3 pk only $9.98 (47% off)

SmartShopper

Walmart announces THREE Black Friday Deals Events starting Nov. 11: See a sneak peek of the deals

Time to activate your Food Lion Shop & Earn offers for November

Illinois school district offers curriculum for K-3 kids to 'break the binary' of gender