Voters turned out in droves to cast ballots during North Carolina’s early voting period, which ended Saturday.
More voters showed up early to the polls this year than in the 2022 midterms, and even the 2024 presidential primary.
Michael Bitzer, a political scientist at Catawba College, says analysts expected the competitive Republican U.S. Senate primary would energize the GOP base this year. But so far, Democrats have pulled more ballots statewide.
“It seems to me that there's something going on on the Democratic side," Bitzer says. "Maybe it's energy or enthusiasm, that kind of meets the national dynamics that we're seeing in other states that could potentially set up an interesting midterm election come November.”
In Forsyth and Guilford counties, about 75% of early voters chose Democratic ballots — a dynamic Bitzer says is common in more urban areas.
He says the big question now is whether Republicans can narrow the gap once the polls open.