Before election day polls even opened, more than 4,000 Polk County voters, or 27 percent of the county’s 14,923 registered voters, had already cast their ballots.

Early voting, which ended Saturday, gave voters a couple of weeks to beat the crowds at the polls on election day.

There were three early voting locations in Polk this year: the Polk County Board of Elections Office, the Mill Spring Fire Department and the Green Creek Community Center.

Early voters could also register and then vote on the same visit. During early voting this year, Polk County had 85 new voter registrations, according to unofficial totals.

Polk County tallied 4,054 early votes, according to unofficial results from the Polk County Board of Elections Office. The early vote totals do not include absentee ballots.

Of the total, 2,890 residents voted at the board of elections office, 656 voted at the Green Creek Community Center and 508 voted at the Mill Spring Fire Department.

Republicans outvoted any other party during early voting with 1,512 votes. Democrats were 46 votes behind with 1,466. Unaffiliated voters had 1,070 and Libertarians had six votes in early voting.

Polls are open today from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in North Carolina. Unofficial results will be known sometime later tonight. Poll locations include the Harmon Field log cabin (Tryon 123), the Saluda Fire Department (Saluda 4), Sunny View Elementary School (Coopers Gap 5), Mill Spring Fire Department (White Oak 6), Polk County High School (Columbus 7), Isothermal Community College (Columbus 8) and the Green Creek Community Center (Green Creek 9). See the table below for addresses.

South Carolina polls are open today from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Landrum and other area Spartanburg County voters go to the Landrum United Methodist Church to vote. Gowensville, Lake Lanier and other area Greenville County residents vote at the Gowensville Community Center.

Early voting was available only through absentee ballots in South Carolina.

Look for election coverage in tomorrows Bulletin.