North Carolina early primary voting surges ahead of 2024, driven by Democratic enthusiasm

By: Brandon Kingdollar

Outlets: North Carolina Newsline

Published: March 2, 2026

Words: 688

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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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, …

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