(The Center Square) – Net increase of more than 6,000 voter registrations was 97.9% to the unaffiliated bloc in the seven-day reporting period ending Saturday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections says.
More than 3 million residents are choosing independence from the two major political parties arguably at their most divisive stances since the civil rights era of the 1960s. It’s a whopping 39.4% percentage share of the voters, the most for any faction since Democrats had 39.5% on the day – Nov. 8, 2016 – Donald Trump was first elected president.
Democrats, with a 47.6% share on Jan. 1, 2004, had a net loss of another 65 registrations last week and possess just a 29.9% share of the voting bloc. Republicans have dropped just more than 4% in the last 22 years, easily the most stable of the three largest contingents, and have 30% today.
In raw totals, the state’s more than 7.7 million voters are split with 3.05 million unaffiliated, 2.32 million Republicans and 2.31 million Democrats.
For context on how Democrats once had a lock, from the every two years elections of 1930 to 1982 the party was 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.
