AP:

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. -- Several North Carolina counties reported problems with voting, including Carteret, where more than 4,000 early votes were lost because the electronic voting system could not store the volume of votes it received.

It was unknown what affect the problem would have on local or state voting results or what action the state Board of Elections might take. Two statewide races, for superintendent of public instruction and agriculture commissioner, remained unresolved and too close to call on Thursday.

In Carteret, the county was told by the manufacturer of the voting system that its units could store up to 10,500 votes, but the limit was actually 3,005 votes.

Officials said 3,005 votes cast early were valid...

Verdon said that after a ballot is cast, the electronic vote is stored in one of the units, known as a black box. Because the county believed the storage capacity was 10,500 votes, only one black box was used during early voting.

"If we had known, we would have had the units to handle the votes," Verdon said.

The loss of the 4,530 votes didn't appear to change the outcome of the county races...