Elections and Voter Registration

State data show that as of early January 2026, registered Republicans in North Carolina slightly outnumber registered Democrats for the first time on record, signaling a notable partisan shift in a key presidential and Senate battleground. The North Carolina State Board of Elections reports about 2.315 million Republicans and 2.313 million Democrats, down from a 645,000‑voter Democratic edge in 2016, while nearly 3 million unaffiliated voters remain the state’s largest bloc. Republican leaders credit years of organizing and alignment with former President Donald Trump’s agenda, while analysts note structural changes and rising unaffiliated registration as central drivers.