RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) -  Midterm voter participation in North Carolina set a new record Tuesday, according to the State Board of Elections.

As of 10:34 p.m. Tuesday, 2,717,920 voters had cast ballots. In 2010, turnout was 2,700,393.

“We are pleased that more than 2.7 million voters made such a strong statement for the democratic process —increasing early participation by over 20% and besting the state’s prior midterm record,” said Executive Director Kim Strach in a statement.  “We commend the counties for their hard work and commitment on behalf of voters in our state.”