NC Said to Be Close in Electoral Races

The cold Tuesday morning temperatures did not keep back early morning voters in Cumberland County at the 77 polling locations.

At polling locations at Max Abbott Middle School and at the Kiwanis Recreation Center voters trickled in before heading to work.

Given that North Carolina is considered a swing state, early voters turned out in record numbers through Saturday evening.

This evening, according to the final poll averages from Real Clear Politics, Mitt Romney had a 3 point lead in North Carolina. President Obama will need 15 Electoral College votes to secure the lead in his favor

Another race that locals are watching is for Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory who had already pulled ahead with early voters over Democrat Walter Dalton.

"With government contract cuts on the line, in a military community co-located with a huge small business town like Fayetteville, I feel like we are swinging back the other direction this time around," said a retired military officer Brad Sharpston at the Kiwanis Recreation Center poll.

Another race Cumberland County voters are closely following is longtime Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre, 7th House District, taking on Republican David Rouzer.

"This was the first year I used the electronic voting machine and I did not like it one bit," stated 56-year old Marion Rawlings at the election headquarters on Fountainhead. "My nails caused me to hit the wrong square and I had to back up several times."

Many have echoed sentiments that they feel like North Carolina will not have a winner declared until the morning. That is unless recounts are demanded.