More than two million North Carolinians voted early, according to the State Board of Elections.

Total early voting in Currituck County was 3,027, Dare 8,327, Hyde 473, and Tyrrell 604.

Statewide, the 1,959,183 total is 73% greater than 2014 early voting, when 1,174,184 ballots were cast early, the State Board reported.

That’s a turnout rate of 28.6% so far. Final turnout across the Tar Heel State in 2014 (including Election Day) was 44.4 percent.

“We believe the strong early voting turnout, as well as Saturday’s long lines at some sites, are signs that voters are engaged in 2018. We hope this excitement continues on Election Day,” said Patrick Gannon, public information officer for the State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement.

In Tyrrell County 496 early votes were cast in 2014. The final turnout was 1,256, or 50% of the registered voters.

This year’s early voting total of 604 is a 22% gain over 2014, the most recent mid-term election.

Some of the increase may be due to North Road Street in Columbia being closed, making it more inconvenient to come to the polls on Election Day, so some took advantage of early voting while in town last week.

The voting place in the second largest precinct, Scuppernong, is at the 4-H Center on the extreme western edge of the precinct, and many voters availed themselves of stopping by the courthouse during early voting days.

There are no county office contests on the Tyrrell ballot, but heated races for state legislative offices have claimed much attention here.