Election 2026: Unaffiliated bloc grows more than overall total registrations

North Carolina has 7,811,658 total registrations split roughly into thirds – 39.9% are unaffiliated (3,116,962), 29.8% are Republicans (2,326,973) and 29.7% are Democrats (2,316,528).

Also recognized in the state are the Libertarian Party (46,463 registrations, six-tenths of 1% of the total registrations) and the Green Party (4,732 registrations, six-one hundredths of 1% of the total registrations).

In the May 23 update, unaffiliated voters topped the overall total increase for the third time in five weeks. In that update, overall registrations were up 3,513 overall and unaffiliated choices were up 3,891.

Since the first weekend in April, registrations have similarly trended. There are 76,327 registrations net that have been added, 72,262 of which (94.7%) are unaffiliated. The Republican Party has added 2,056 and the Democrats 1,602.

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 regarding registrations.

For the 2026 midterms on Nov. 3, absentee ballots go into the mail Sept. 4 – or five 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.