North Carolina early primary voting surges ahead of 2024, driven by Democratic enthusiasm
More voters cast early ballots in North Carolina’s 2026 midterm primaries than in the 2024 presidential primary, a stark display of voter interest — and a result driven by a huge surge in Democratic voter participation even as Republican turnout fell slightly.
“The Republicans seem to be less motivated to come out than Democrats, and that holds no matter how you calculate it,” said Chris Cooper, a political scientist at Western Carolina University. “In general, what this is telling me is [that] people are not sitting this one out, particularly Democrats.”
More than 296,000 Democrats have cast early ballots, as have more than 215,000 unaffiliated voters and roughly 200,000 Republicans, according to North Carolina State Board of Elections data updated Monday morning. Unaffiliated voters, who are allowed to choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot in North Carolina, have broken toward Democrats, with around 55% casting a Democratic primary ballot.
The early results suggest a Democratic voter base motivated to vote by opposition to the second Trump administration, whose sweeping cuts to federal programs, hardline immigration crackdowns, and aggressive military actions have sparked backlash from the left and pushed some independents away from the GOP.
https://ncnewsline.com/2026/03/02/north-carolina-early-primary-voting-surges-ahead-of-2024-driven-by-democratic-enthusiasm/