A record turnout of voters is expectd in the North Carolina primary, election officials said.

Throughout the weekend around the state, many polling places experienced long lines and state election officials already have seen an increase in absentee voting ballots. 

Some analysts, according to the Raleigh News & Observer, are predicting as many as 1.5 million voters, up from the 961,000 who voted in the 1984 primary.  One portion of the surge in voting could be attributed to young voters' heightened interest in the election.

The presidential primary has almost overshadowed the highly contested governor's race between State Treasurer Richard Moore and Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue.