Election 2026: Nation’s longest voting window opens Friday

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(The Center Square) – One day shy of a full two weeks sooner than any other state in the nation, North Carolina county boards of elections on Friday will begin sending absentee ballots to any voter having made a request.

The nation’s ninth largest state at 11.2 million is at 7,837,065 registrations, down 2,846 from the general election in 2024, up 128,805 since the March 3 primary, and up 4,824 in the most recent seven-day period updated by the State Board of Elections. Wisconsin, on Sept. 17, will be next to put ballots in the mail.

From Friday to Election Day is 61 days and ballots, per past patterns, are likely to begin filtering in next week. The deadline for an absentee ballot in the mail to be in a county election board office is when the polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.

The Center Square analyzes the registrations trend as part of its mission for reporting taxpayers' views, of government accountability, and the intersection at the ballot box that will shape policy impacting Americans across multiple areas.

Voter roll maintenance, standard and as required by state law, and a trend away from parties since Election Day 2024 has continued to swell the independents and weaken the major parties regarding registrations.

Since the presidential cycle November election two years ago, also North Carolina’s longest ballot, the state’s voter registrations choosing no affiliation to a party has grown 179,065. Democrats have lost 133,642 and Republicans have lost 18,546.

Since this year’s primary 26 weeks ago, the unaffiliated bloc has grown 116,861 – 65.3% of its nearly two years growth – while Republicans have gained 6,283 and Democrats have gained 5,457.

In the past week, the independent group grew 3,844, Democrats were up 578 and Republicans increased 363.

By share through Saturday, the unaffiliated bloc is 40% (3,138,071) of the state’s registrations. Republicans have 29.7% (2,328,526) and Democrats 29.6% (2,319,105).

The state does recognize two other parties. The Libertarian Party total registrations is 46,551 and the Green Party has 4,812.

Oct. 9 is the registration deadline. 

North Carolinians will choose a U.S. senator, all 14 members of the U.S. House, and all 170 members of the General Assembly. One state Supreme Court seat and a number of judges, district attorneys, and county level offices are on the state's second-longest ballot of the four-year cycles.

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.

Neither Obama or Carter managed to carry the state in their reelection bids.

The state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in 2008 was won by Democrat Kay Hagan, and the 13 U.S. House seats were divvied up eight Democrats and five Republicans. Democrats are 0-5 in Senate races since.

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.