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Is this true or not that 3,789 folks already cast ballots ahead of the Nov. 4 general election in Durham
Executive Summary
The claim that 3,789 Durham County voters had already cast ballots ahead of the Nov. 4 general election is supported by the official absentee and provisional data file from the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), which lists Durham with 3,789 absentee ballots cast [1]. Local reporting from the News & Observer did not provide a county-specific figure and therefore neither confirmed nor contradicted the precise number [2], while a statewide NCSBE press release provided large-scale early voting totals but no county breakdown [3]. Taken together, the most direct and authoritative source available confirms the figure when viewed as a snapshot from the official absentee counts dataset [1].
1. Why the NCSBE absentee file is the decisive piece of evidence
The NCSBE publishes an “Absentee and Provisional Data” file that records absentee ballots cast by county for a given election; the dataset for the Nov. 4, 2024 general election lists Durham County with 3,789 absentee ballots cast, directly matching the claim [1]. This file represents the official administrative count of absentee ballots processed or recorded by the State Board and is the most granular public record available for county-level absentee totals. Because the claim specifies an exact number tied to Durham County, the NCSBE county-level absentee dataset is the most relevant and authoritative source to verify it, and it does so affirmatively [1]. The dataset’s publication date and any caveats about update timing determine whether the number was a live total or a snapshot.
2. Why some news reports did not corroborate the county number
The News & Observer article examined in the analysis does not mention a Durham-specific early-vote tally and therefore provides no direct support for or against the 3,789 figure [2]. Journalistic articles frequently focus on broader voter guidance, statewide patterns, or narrative-driven reporting and may omit precise county numbers even when official data exist. The absence of a county figure in a news story does not contradict the NCSBE dataset; it simply means the journalist did not include or emphasize the local absentee count. As a result, the News & Observer article is neutral on the specific numeric claim and should not be treated as counterevidence to the NCSBE’s published count [2].
3. How statewide totals relate but do not settle the county question
A separate NCSBE press release reported that, as of 2 p.m. on Nov. 1, 2024, more than 3,798,000 North Carolina voters had cast in‑person early ballots, underscoring record-breaking statewide turnout but offering no county breakdown that could verify Durham’s 3,789 absentee figure [3]. Statewide tallies and in‑person early voting numbers are useful for big-picture context—showing the scale and timing of turnout—but they do not substitute for county-level absentee or provisional records. The press release’s focus on in‑person early totals also highlights a distinction: “early voting” commonly refers to in‑person votes, while the 3,789 number in the absentee dataset specifically tracks absentee ballots, which are a separate category [3].
4. Important context: categories, timing, and updates that affect counts
Election reporting distinguishes absentee, in‑person early, and provisional ballots; official files are updated at different cadences, so any numeric claim is best understood as a snapshot tied to a particular update time. The NCSBE absentee file showing 3,789 absentee ballots for Durham is a firm data point for the category it covers, but totals can rise as additional absentee or provisional ballots are processed or as clerical adjustments occur [1]. Local media or statewide press releases may report different figures depending on the update time and whether they aggregate categories. Therefore, the claim is true with the important qualification that it reflects the absentee ballot count recorded in the NCSBE dataset at the time that dataset was published [1] [3].
5. Bottom line and how to follow up if you need ongoing verification
Based on the available official data, the statement that 3,789 Durham residents had already cast ballots ahead of the Nov. 4 general election is accurate as recorded in the NCSBE absentee and provisional dataset for that election [1]. The News & Observer article’s omission of a county figure does not undermine the official count [2], and statewide early-vote releases provide context but not county verification [3]. For continuing verification, consult the NCSBE’s county-level absentee and provisional files and note timestamps on each release, because election totals are finalized only after canvassing and official certification processes conclude [1].