TheDemocratic surge is driven by significant turnout increases among Black and younger voters, as well as a shift among white voters that is 13.5 points more Democratic than in 2022. This current trend represents a sharp reversal from the 2024 cycle, where the first day of in-person voting showed a registration margin of only D+1.7. While analysts suggest the results may be predictive of the national mood, they caution that the remaining electorate is expected to be more Republican as the window closes.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Democrats Hold D+28.5 Registration Lead in NC's First 501k Early Votes
US Politics3 days ago
A total of 501,321 ballots were cast during the first three days of North Carolina's in-person early voting window, which began on Oct. 15. Registration margins for these votes remained heavily skewed toward Democrats, recording gaps of D+27.5 on Thursday, D+21.7 on Friday, and D+28.5 on Saturday. Based on this early momentum, VoteHub models Roy Cooper winning with 60.0% to 69.8% of the vote against Michael Whatley’s 28.2% to 38.0%, rating the race as Likely D.
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