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Last updated on Monday, November 7, 2016
(BEDFORD) - It may have been a Saturday morning, but instead of sleeping in, Lawrence County early voters showed up in droves to cast their ballots.
Lawrence Court security officer Larry Reed says there were between 25 to 30 people lined up to vote when he arrived at 8 a.m. The courthouse didn't open for voting until 8:30 a.m.
Early voting, which began October 20, drew to a close Saturday afternoon.
According to Lawrence County Clerk Myron Rainey, there was a steady flow of voters all day saying more people turned out to cast their ballots early this year than in 2012.
Rainey says more than 4,800 people have walked in to vote, compared with 3,278 people who voted early in 2012.
Officials received 1,550 ballots so far by mail and the travel board collected 142 votes.
Rainey was not surprised with the turnout considering this is a presidential election as Republican nominee Donald Trump squares off against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a race shrouded by scandals and controversy.
Since early voting began, Clinton and Trump have both campaigned in North Carolina in a last-ditch effort to claim the state's vital 15 electoral votes. Surrogates including President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Lara Trump -- wife of Eric Trump, one of Donald Trump's sons -- have also campaigned in the state.
A late email scandal questioning Clinton in the midst of early voting gave Trump the ammunition he needed to gain some ground.
On Friday, the Real Clear Politics average of statewide polls showed the presidential candidates tied at 46.4 percent.
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