Duke Early Voting Totals Set Campus Record

UPDATE, Nov. 5: The one-stop early voting site on Duke's campus set a record for voter participation with a strong finish Friday and Saturday. Early voting ended with 10,003 people voting at the Duke site.

That number exceeded the previous record of 9,361 in the 2008 presidential race.  In the 2016 presidential race, 8,366 people voted at Duke.

Original Story

Mid-term elections aren’t supposed to bring the same excitement as presidential elections. But even without a governor’s or U.S. senatorial race on the ballot, early voting totals at Duke’s Brodhead Center are on path to break the campus record for midterms and may exceed the numbers in the 2016 election.

As of Sunday, 5,357 people had voted at the Brodhead Center, with six days of early voting to go.  (To see early voting schedule, click here.)

Traditionally, there’s a late rush of voters for the last days of early voting; in 2016, more than 3,000 people voted at Duke on the last three days of early voting.  So, this year’s turnout is on pace to possibly match or even surpass the 8,366 campus voters in the 2016 presidential race.  

The campus record for early voting was 9,174 in the 2012 presidential race.  Early voting ends Saturday, Nov. 3, and Election Day is Nov. 6.

While it’s unusual for midterm election to attract extra attention, a concerted effort to raise the vote led by POLIS: Center for Political Leadership, Innovation and Service, in conjunction with other university and student groups, appears to have had an effect. In addition, even without a headline race at the top of the ballot, close elections for state judges and six controversial state constitutional amendments underscore how the 2018 race could shape North Carolina for years to come.

“Historically, North Carolina turnout in midterm elections has only been about 60 percent of presidential years,” said Fritz Mayer, director of POLIS. “Yet early voting at Duke this year is on pace to match 2016.  We've had a great team effort here on campus to turn out the vote. And voters recognize the significance of this election.  More than any midterm election in memory, 2018 is a battle for the soul of America.”

“The amazing turnout is evidence of our community’s great interest in the future of North Carolina,” said Chris Simmons, associate vice president for government relations at Duke. “The early voting site at the Brodhead Center is an example of the importance the university places on helping promote voter engagement. It also wouldn’t have been possible without the dozens of students, faculty and staff who are making it work. I’m really proud of how this year has worked out and provides us a great foundation for 2020.”

The strong turnout at Duke is being matched across Durham County and North Carolina. As of Sunday, 48,554 people had voted early at one of six Durham early voting sites. In 2016, 119,600 people voted early at 13 special sites.

Across the state, with several days of early voting remaining, ballots cast so far already have exceeded all ballots cast early during the 2014 mid-term election.

On Election Day, registered voters will have to vote at their designated precinct.