Raleigh, N.C. — Voter turnout in Wake County for the municipal elections and school board runoff Tuesday surpassed turnout in last month's elections, according to the Wake County Board of Elections.

Of the 185,540 registered voters, 39,562, or 21.32 percent, cast ballots for races in 11 towns and cities.

Wake County's undecided and heated District 3 school board race – the only race in Raleigh – between incumbent Kevin Hill and Republican challenger Heather Losurdo helped drive voters to the polls.

By late Tuesday afternoon, voter turnout was about 15 percent, and elections officials said they expected to see an increase in the final hours of Election Day.

Final numbers, however, weren't available Tuesday evening.

Turnout was slightly higher than last month's election, when 21.16 percent of the 449,478 registered voters went to the polls.

Early and absentee voting was also high. The number received Tuesday was 2,333, more than double the number cast for the November 2009 election, which also included a school board runoff.