Guilford posts strong early voting totals as Piedmont Triad turnout surges

Guilford County recorded more than 24,000 voters who turned out early as of Thursday night, part of a Piedmont Triad wave that also saw Forsyth County report more than 16,000 primary early votes cast and Rockingham County record more than 8,100 early ballots during the Feb. 12-28 early voting window ahead of the March 3 primary.

"So far during the early voting period, nearly every day has seen more voters than the day before and more voters than what we’ve seen historically for an election like this … We’ve been doing really well with our trends with this final Saturday … Our Saturdays are always pretty big, so I can see us getting past any historical high we’ve had for an election like this," — Charlie Collicutt, Guilford County Board of Elections. Collicutt said the North Carolina Senate District 24 contest is a driving force behind the early voting interest in Guilford and neighboring Rockingham County.

The Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 24 is between Phil Berger and Sam Page and has captured the attention of the nation, with even the president weighing in. Incumbent Berger is the NC Senate leader who has been representing Rockingham County and parts of Guilford County for 25 years and earned President Trump’s endorsement for his policies. Primary challenger Sam Page is stepping away from his role as Rockingham County sheriff to run against the long-time representative and has also received praise from the president for his ideas.

Election officials across the Triad described high-profile races as a key driver of turnout. In Rockingham County, early voter Francisca Bernier urged neighbors to participate: "Just get out and vote. It’s so important. Whether it be one way or the other, we need to let the people in power know whether or not they are doing the right thing, whether or not they are representing us," illustrating local motivation behind the more than 8,100 ballots already cast there.

Forsyth County elections staff pointed to contested local contests as another factor, saying "there are lots of school board member hopefuls people are choosing" even as the county posted more than 16,000 early votes. Across the Triad, officials said early voting during Feb. 12-28 ran well ahead of typical early-election patterns, with thousands casting ballots before the March 3 primary.

With the early voting window closed on Feb. 28 and Election Day on March 3 approaching, county boards of elections are watching whether Saturday and Election Day turnout will push totals past previous highs. Local officials have signaled they expect continued heavy participation tied to the District 24 showdown and a slate of contested local races through Election Day.