RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina elections officials say that more than 4.2 million voters cast ballots at early in-person voting sites, with turnout in western counties hit by Hurricane Helene outpacing the rest of the state. The State Board of Elections announced the record turnout Sunday. Early in-person voting, which ended Saturday, has become increasingly popular in the presidential battleground state over several election cycles. In 2020, a record 3.63 million people voted during the early-voting period. This year, the board said the state exceeded that total by Thursday, days before the period ended.