Early Voting Begins in North Carolina

Battleground state North Carolina joins nineteen other states in beginning early voting for the November election. This practice of casting the ballot before the actual election is an increasingly popular trend, with approximately 33% of the population doing so in the 2008 election, and predictions indicate that percentage will increase in 2012 as well. First Lady Michelle Obama has been campaigning for her husband, President Barack Obama, throughout the state, trying to encourage people to vote early, a main factor for Obama winning North Carolina in 2008. Former Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum and Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus are campaigning for Governor Mitt Romney in the state, whose importance in this close election cannot be understated.

Early Voting Opens in Critical North Carolina - CBS News