(The Center Square) – Net change for unaffiliated voter registrations the last four weeks in North Carolina is 38 more than the 22,398 overall total.
The State Board of Elections weekly seven-day update, posted Saturday, was another emphatic indicator the state is trending away from partisan politics of Democrats and Republicans. Democrats, once the overwhelming choice, finally stopped the bleeding of losing registrations three weeks in a row by posting a gain of seven.
Republicans were not much better, gaining 195.
In the last four weeks, the unaffiliated bloc has gained 22,436; Republicans have gained 338, or 1.5% of the total; and Democrats have lost 433.
Total registrations are 7,757,729, with 39.5% choosing to be unaffiliated (3,067,136). There are 30% choosing Republican (2,325,255) and 29.8% choosing Democrat (2,314,493).
Last time either of those three voting groups had a 39.5% share was when Democrats had exactly that on Nov. 8, 2016 – the day Republican Donald Trump first won the White House. It was already a fall from 47.6% on Jan. 1, 2004, and the descent has continued.
From the every two years elections of 1930 to 1982, Democrats were below 43 of the 50 state Senate seats just twice (won 38 in 1969, won 35 in 1973) and didn’t have fewer than 30 until only getting 26 in the 1994 cycle. From 1930 to 1982 in the House, Democrats had fewer than 102 of the 120 just six times with 85 won in 1974 the worst.
Three decades ago, at Election Day 1992, North Carolinians elected Democrats to all 10 Council of State positions and majorities of 39-11 in the state Senate and 78-42 in the House.
In the most recent 2024 cycle, Republicans won half of the 10 Council of State seats, and majorities of 30-20 in the Senate and 71-49 in the House of Representatives.
