(The Center Square) – Voter registrations for Democrats in North Carolina were the largest percentage since before the March 3 primaries, according to Saturday’s weekly seven-day update from the State Board of Elections and analysis by The Center Square.
Still paling in comparison to the unaffiliated bloc, the party which dominated not only the state but the Deep South for the better part of the 1900s had a 27.2% share (2,179) of the 8,025 net registration gains. Unaffiliated voters (5,469 gain, 68.1%) remain the surging trend. Republicans had a net gain of 320 last week.
The Center Square analyzes the registration trend as part of its mission for reporting taxpayers' views, government accountability, and the intersection at the ballot box that will shape policy impacting Americans across multiple areas.
Voter roll maintenance, standard and as required by state law, and a trend away from parties since Election Day 2024 have continued to swell the independents and weaken the major parties in registration numbers.
The total registrations in the nation’s ninth largest state (11.2 million) are 7,860,992, split into shares of 40.1% for the unaffiliated bloc (3,155,445), 29.6% for Republicans (2,329,597) and 29.6% for Democrats (2,324,413). There are 46,662 in the Libertarian Party, 4,915 in the Green Party.
Since the primary on March 3, the net gain of registrations is 152,732 with 87.9% (134,235) going the independent route. Democrats have gained 10,765 and Republicans have added 7,354.
For additional context on the lack of party alignment, consider the change since Election Day 2024. Total net registrations are up 21,081. The unaffiliated bloc is more than nine times that at 196,439, with Democrats having lost 128,331 and Republicans decreasing 17,475.
At what is generally considered a landmark Election Day in 2008, the state’s total registrations were 6,264,733. Those unaffiliated numbered just under 1.4 million (22.2%) while Democrats’ 2,866,669 had 45.8% share and Republicans’ 2,002,416 was a 32% share. Barack Obama became the first Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976 to carry the state, by a mere 14,177 votes of more than 4.3 million cast, on the way to winning the White House.
Neither Obama nor Carter managed to carry the state in their reelection bids.
The state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in 2008 was won by Democrat Kay Hagan, and the 13 U.S. House seats were divvied up eight Democrats and five Republicans. Democrats are 0-5 in Senate races since.
The Council of State went 8-2 to Democrats. Incumbent Republicans’ Steve Troxler and Cherie Berry remained commissioners of agriculture and labor, respectively. And the General Assembly was 30-20 Democrats in the Senate and 68-52 Democrats in the House of Representatives.
Today, Republicans have won the state in the presidential race 13 of the last 15 contests (1968-present), five consecutive U.S. Senate races (2010-present), and two years ago captured 10 of 14 seats for the U.S. House.
The Council of State is a 5-5 split. On Election Day 2024, the General Assembly majorities were 30-20 Republicans in the Senate and 71-49 Republicans in the House of Representatives.
Absentee voting began on Sept. 4 with the mailing of ballots to the nearly 50,000 requesting them, opening a 61-day window to Nov. 3. Oct. 9 is the voter registration deadline.
Absentee requests do not require a reason; anyone can file with their respective counties. The deadline for an absentee ballot in the mail to be in a county election board office is when the polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3; the request deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 20.
Early in-person voting is Oct. 15-31, and same-day registration is permitted.
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