RALEIGH, N.C. — Some communities in our state are holding early voting events to help get those ballots in before Election Day.

This afternoon, the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County brought over a hundred people together to march from the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial to the polling center in Roberts Park.

“Voting has a very unique history for the African American community. The fact that there was at one point a time when people weren't able to vote, we want to make sure that we get our voices heard and get them heard early. So, we encourage everyone to come out before Election Day,” says Grady Bussey, chair of the African American Cultural Festival.

As of Saturday afternoon, over one million ballots had already been cast in North Carolina. However, that only makes up for about 14 percent of registered voters.

The in-person early voting period began Thursday and ends on October 31.

Voters can find sites and hours in their county using the One-Stop Early Voting Site Search Tool.