Many anaylsts predicted that North Carolina's primary election would draw a record number of voters to the polls on Tuesday. That forecast materialized, with 38 percent of those registered cast ballots, surpassing the previous mark of 31 percent in 1988.

The presidential campaign has served as a powerful motivator, drawing thousands of new voters into the political process statewide. With North Carolina facing a runoff vote in June and the general election in November, it is crucial that those men and women remain engaged and informed so they help ensure that the results accurately reflect the will of the electorate.

The state Board of Elections released numbers on Tuesday night indicating that more than 2.1 million voters participated in the primary election. Overall, the board reported a 50 percent turnout rate among Democrats, who had a hotly contested presidential nomintion race to draw them in, while Republicans voted at a clip of 23 percent.

Pitt County reported record tunout figures as well. Some 34 percent of county voters — nearly 33,000 people — cast ballots in the election. The county Board of Elections said more than 9,000 of those votes were through One-Stop Early Voting, reflecting the popularity and convenience of that option.

Statewide, many of those voters participated in their first primary election or cast a ballot for the first time. North Carolina registered nearly 150,000 new voters since the start of the year, raising by 2.6 percent the roster of roughly 5.75 million voters here. Nationwide, 3.4 million new voters were added to the rolls this year.

The vast majority of those individuals are motivated by the presidential race, particularly the Democratic Party's primary battle that has stretched for months longer than expected. And it would be shameful if the energy and enthusiasm surrounding this year's presidential race were allowed to wane now that local voters have participated in the state's primary.

In June, voters will likely face a runoff election to decide the Democratic nominee in the N.C. Senate District 5 race and, possibly, the Democratic nominee for secretary of the N.C. Department of Labor. Then, in November, voters will face a massive slate of decisions, including those for president, governor, U.S. senator and state Legislature, among others. Some Pitt County voters will see a contested race for county commission as well.

The prospect of a dismal showing for a June runoff is concerning, as is the possibility that voters will go to the polls in November for the presidential election without sufficient knowledge of the down-ticket races. The challenge now becomes keeping those individuals informed and engaged through this election cycle and in the future.