Josh Stein and his wife Anna Stein arrived at a polling place in Southeast Raleigh shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar)
Attorney General Josh Stein and wife Anna Stein cast their ballots on the first day of early voting Thursday morning at a polling place in southeast Raleigh as dozens of supporters gathered to cheer him on.
The Democratic candidate for governor arrived at the Southeast Raleigh YMCA after 10:30 a.m. to cheers and chants of “Josh, Josh!” from supporters. He shook hands and posed for photos before entering to cast his ballot, a process that took about five minutes.
“We urge all North Carolinians to come out and vote, today’s the first day of early voting — 17 days. You can even vote if you haven’t registered yet because you can register and vote the same day,” Stein told reporters after emerging with an “I Voted Early” unicorn sticker on his lapel.
“The quality of our public schools, the safety of our neighborhoods, our economy’s continued growth and working for more people, and of course, people’s personal freedoms, women’s right to choose — that’s all on the line this November,” he added.
Stein said he anticipated a substantial turnout this year due to the high stakes of the election. He also warned voters to watch out for misinformation about the election, pledging to ensure a “safe and secure” election in which all eligible votes are counted.
Josh Stein, wearing an “I Voted Early” unicorn sticker, took questions outside a polling place in Southeast Raleigh Thursday. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar)
He also remarked on his opponent Mark Robinson’s defamation lawsuit against CNN and a former clerk at a porn store the lieutenant governor is alleged to have frequented, quipping that while he hadn’t yet read it, he is “quite sure CNN will be interested in the discovery [process].”
“We did not need this lawsuit, and we didn’t need the story from CNN to know Mark Robinson is unfit to be governor,” Stein said. “This is a man who disrespects women, saying they’re not called to lead. He says women only have abortions because they can’t keep their skirts down. He said that some folks need killing — he said that from a church pulpit.”
He called Robinson, who most polls show at a double-digit deficit to Stein, “absolutely unfit to be in any elected office.” In the final weeks of the election, Stein said he plans to stay on the course he’s followed — “head down, run hard” — talking to as many voters as he can about the issues that are important to them.
After Stein’s departure, the stream of early voters subsided to a slow trickle, with just a person or small group entering every few minutes and no line outside the polling place. According to a State Board of Elections wait time tracker, residents should still expect to wait 10 to 30 minutes at the YMCA on the first day of voting.
Beyond Stein, other candidates for office made their presence known at the southeast Raleigh polling place on the first morning of early voting. Raleigh City Council District C candidate Tomara DeCosta said she arrived at the YMCA around 8 a.m. to talk to voters about the election and encourage them to make an informed choice, stressing the importance of a diversity of opinion on the council.
“I’ve talked to pretty much everyone that’s come,” DeCosta said. “Obviously there’s some people who are just coming to swim, but I’ve encourage them that even if you’re not voting today to come back out later before November 5th to vote.”
Even some candidates who were not there in person still made their voices heard. A blue pickup truck adorned with a “Eugene Myrick for Mayor” flag circled the area throughout the morning, playing campaign messages recorded by the candidate over its speakers with the windows down.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (left) and his attorney Jesse Binnall hold a news conference to announce a lawsuit against CNN and Louis Money of Greensboro in Raleigh, North Carolina on Oct. 15, 2024. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)
Melanie Mumma, 62, said she came to support Stein and met him for the first time Thursday morning. She said the attorney general’s office’s quick assistance with a consumer complaint she filed earned him her trust. Robinson, she said, had failed to show he deserved that trust.
“I’ve been in tech for 30 years, and as a hiring manager, even entry-level people have to have qualifications and education — they’re drilled about their background and references,” Mumma said. “And then politicians can just slide into office saying hateful things about somebody else.”
Voters seeking information about early voting can visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website for help. North Carolina requires photo identification to vote and offers same-day registration for voters who have not registered yet. Early voting began Thursday morning and lasts until 3 p.m. on Nov. 2. Voters can also head to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 5.