Polls are closing in North Carolina, an important swing state where Democrats are hoping to pull off an upset after a scandal-plagued GOP gubernatorial race.
The Tar Heel state has not voted for a Democratic candidate since 2008, when former President Barack Obama won the state’s coveted 15 electoral votes. North Carolina gained another vote after the 2020 census.
Former President Donald Trump carried North Carolina in the 2020 presidential election, prevailing over President Joe Biden by about 74,000 votes.
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Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, both targeted North Carolina—Harris visited the state six times, while Trump racked up 11 stops in the Tar Heel State, according to Axios data.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections said they are expecting to report early voting around 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., while precincts will begin reporting from 8:00 p.m. through midnight.
Republicans are also hoping to win the race for the state house, which has been led by the term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper since 2017. However, far-right gubernatorial candidate and current Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s campaign has been beset by scandal after a CNN investigation revealed his alleged history of lewd and racist comments on a pornography website, including describing himself as a “Black Nazi.”
Most polling shows the two presidential candidates too close to call, but many are indicating Trump still has a small lead in the state. However, most polls have shown support for Robinson plummet since the comment scandal.
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