As expected, North Carolinians voted in large numbers on Tuesday for an amendment that would ban same-sex marriages, partnerships and civil unions, becoming the 30th state in the country and the last in the South to include a prohibition on gay marriage in the state constitution.

About half a million people voted early, a record for a primary in the state, and turnout on Tuesday was unusually high as well. The amendment, which passed by a margin of more than 20 percentage points, was on the ballot along with other party primary races, some of which were closely contested.

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