Landslide Watch, North Carolina Edition

Landslide watch, North Carolina edition.

Across the state, Democrats showed the most first-day enthusiasm. Of the nearly 114,000 first-day voters, 64 percent were Democrats, 21 percent Republicans and 15 percent unaffiliateds.

African American turnout was up significantly. Black voters, who make up about 22 percent of registered voters, were 36 percent of Thursday's early voters.

In 2004, blacks made up 18.6 percent of voters.

Details on where and how to early vote in Durham here.

UPDATE: More at WRAL.

The number shattered the previous record by about 40 percent, said Gary Bartlett, executive director of the State Board of Elections.

"We were expecting long lines from the beginning," Bartlett said. "I do not think it will thin out. I think it will increase, especially during the last week and a half. I believe that there will be continuous lines."

In Wake County, 7,917 people cast ballots Thursday, including 2,088 at Cary Town Center and 1,975 at Triangle Town Center. Lines snaked around both malls, as people waited for up to 30 minutes to vote, officials said.

Durham County elections officials said 6,264 votes were cast Thursday, up 40 percent from the highest daily total in 2004.

Better still are these numbers from a Daily Kos diary:

2008
Unaffiliated 15.50%
Republican 20.26%
Libertarian 0.05%
Democratic 64.41%

2004
Unaffiliated 12.23%
Republican 38.35%
Libertarian 0.15%
Democratic 49.21%