(The Center Square) – As North Carolina moved less than 13 weeks from mailing absentee ballots, the state’s total voter registrations rose another 4,411 to within just more than 20,000 of 7.8 million.
The choice remains solid for unaffiliated rather than a party. The independent bloc captured more than 84% of the net changes in the seven-day period announced Sunday, climbing to 3,088,352 of the state’s 7,779,548 registrations.
That’s 39.7%, far beyond the Republicans (29.9%, or 2,325,437) and Democrats (29.8%, or 2,314,741). For the week, unaffiliated registrations increased 3,712; Democrats 460; and Republicans 215.
In the past 10 weeks, the total registrations have gone up 44,217. The shares are an increase of 43,652 for independents, an increase of 520 for Republicans, an increase of 115 for Libertarians, and a loss of 185 for Democrats.
For the 2026 midterms on Nov. 3, absentee ballots go into the mail Sept. 4 – or 12 weeks from this coming Friday. North Carolinians will choose a U.S. senator, all 14 members of the U.S. House, and all 170 members of the General Assembly.
For context in the change of landscape, 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.
The state’s lone U.S. Senate seat was won by Democrat Kay Hagan, and the 13 U.S. House seats were divvied up eight Democrats and five Republicans.
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.
