(The Center Square) – Voter registrations were net change downward for overall and each of the major voting blocs in North Carolina, according to Saturday’s update from the State Board of Elections.
Overall registrations went down 3,807, the unaffiliated bloc 1,728, Republicans 1,112 and Democrats 922. In a state of more than 7.7 million registrations, there is little change to the percentage shares – unaffiliated is 39.2% (3,021,446), Republicans 30.1% (2,322,304) and Democrats 30% (2,313,533).
For Democrats, it’s the sixth straight week of losses; for Republicans, it’s two in a row after last week being the first since Nov. 1.
North Carolinians have been marking ballots in the primaries since absentee requests were mailed out Jan. 12. The 51-day window to vote closes with the primaries Tuesday. Early in-person voting got underway Feb. 12 and closed Saturday.
In primaries, per state law, unaffiliated voters can choose one ballot from any approved party and vote for each of the respective primaries. Registered voters by party can only choose a primary ballot for their party.
Registration to vote in this primary ended Feb. 6. An exception was granted if a potential voter sought to register while doing early in-person voting.
Inside the numbers and the lead-up to the primary is the quest by a candidate near Kerr Lake on the border of Virginia to get voters to renounce their Democratic registration in favor of going unaffiliated.
Pamela Ayscue was a Democrat last summer, switched to Republican in time to file as one for the District 32 seat in the state House of Representatives, and on Jan. 10 used social media to ask for support through voter registration change.
Ayscue is running against former Rep. Frank Sossamon in the Republican primary. Sossamon was unseated in 2024 when Rep. Bryan Cohn, a Democrat, flipped the seat. He’s not running this year; the Democratic primary pits Melissa Elliott against Curtis McRae.
District 32 includes Granville County and the northern part of Vance County inclusive of Henderson, where Ayscue and Elliott reside; Sossamon and McRae are from Oxford.
In Granville County, since Ayscue made her request, total registrations are up 295 – 248 unaffiliated, 92 Republicans, and a loss of 49 Democrats. In Vance County (not all would be District 32), there is net loss of eight total registrations – 62 unaffiliated registrations have been added, 48 Democrats have been lost and 22 Republicans have been lost.
While Cohn’s win over Sossamon was by 28 votes in the general election, party primaries haven’t been generated in the last two cycles.
Ayscue is part of a broader coalition of six educators formerly registered as Democrats as recently as last summer trying to win Republican primaries. The others are Michele Joyner-Dinwiddie trying to win House District 35, Pamela Zanni HD81, Lisa Deaton Koperski HD89, Kelly VanHorn HD105 and Dr. Christopher Wilson HD117.
