(The Center Square) – Nearly 9 in 10 voter registrations added since the primaries in North Carolina are unaffiliated to either major party, according to Saturday’s weekly seven-day update from the State Board of Elections and analysis by The Center Square.
Democrats and Republicans also are far fewer than two years ago on Election Day in a presidential cycle.
The totals with a month to go before Election Day in the 2026 midterms are 7,868,625 voters total, split into shares of 40.2% for unaffiliated (3,160,539), 29.6% for Republicans (2,329,901), and 29.6% for Democrats (2,326,568). Libertarians number 46,665, and the Green Party has 4,952.
Last week’s seven day update included 7,633 registrations net gain total overall, with 5,094 independent, 2,155 Democrats and 304 Republicans.
Since the primary, the 160,365 net gain in voter registrations has gone 139,329 to the unaffiliated bloc, 12,920 to Democrats, and 7,658 to Republicans.
Since Election Day 2024, the 28,714 net gain in voter registrations has gone 201,533 to the unaffiliated bloc, with losses of 126,179 by Democrats and 17,171 by Republicans.
For additional context, 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. Friday 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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