Voters wait in line to cast their ballots on the first day of early in-person voting in one of the mountainous counties badly affected by Hurricane Helene, in Marion, North Carolina, U.S. October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

Early voting has been the most popular way for North Carolinians to cast a ballot in both the 2020 and 2016 elections, according to the state.

As North Carolinians continue to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, early voting has begun Thursday in the critical swing state. State election officials expect a majority of North Carolina voters to cast their ballot in-person over the next two weeks,