More than 2.8 million North Carolinians cast ballots during early voting ahead of Election Day on Tuesday. That’s the most ever for a midterm election.
The number of people who cast ballots early was 30% higher than the 2022 midterms, when the GOP did well. The 2026 early vote was also 25% higher than the 2018 midterms, when Democrats had a strong performance.
But this year, registered Republicans were not as enthusiastic as Democrats, likely due to President Trump’s low approval ratings.
Republicans made up 26 percent of early voters this year, compared to 31 percent four years ago.
Democrats are expecting to do well on Tuesday. Democrat Roy Cooper is favored to win the U.S. Senate seat over Republican Michael Whatley.
But whether there is a Blue Wave depends on how unaffiliated voters break. They were 35 percent of early voters this year, compared to 30 percent in 2022.
In addition to winning the Senate race, Democrats hope to win a state Supreme Court race and possibly flip the state House. They also are eyeing upset victories in at least two Congressional races – the 11th district in the mountains and the 1st district in the rural northeast and coast.
