(The Center Square) – Voter registration returned above 7.8 million for North Carolina in the latest weekly update from the State Board of Elections.
There was no distinct difference in recent trends. The gain of 5,480 total registrations was split 4,583 unaffiliated with any party, 490 was the net gain for Republicans and 365 was the net gain for Democrats.
The state’s 7,802,777 registrations are split 39.8% unaffiliated (3,108,871), 29.8% Republicans (2,326,752) and 29.7% Democrats (2,315,963).
North Carolina had 7,839,911 total registrations on Election Day 2024. The shares were 37.7% unaffiliated, 31.3% Democrats and 29.9% Republicans. Democrats have 136,784 fewer registrations today and Republicans have 20,320 fewer. The unaffiliated bloc has swelled by 149,865.
Voter roll maintenance, standard and as required by law, and a trend away from parties since Election Day 2024 has continued to swell the independents and weaken the major parties with regard to registrations.
For the 2026 midterms on Nov. 3, absentee ballots go into the mail Sept. 4 – or seven 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.
