Morrisville, N.C. — Ahead of final numbers being verified in the post-canvass election period, North Carolina voters arrived at the polls in record numbers during the 2026 General Midterm Election, with (unofficially) more than 4.2 million voters casting their ballot during the Early Voting period and Election Day. Groups from across the election protection space, including Democracy North Carolina and Southern Coalition for Social Justice, worked to assist and protect voters, ensuring all have safe and secure access to the polls.
“Today we celebrate American citizens’ – both those who were born here and those who were naturalized – right to vote,” said Adrienne Kelly, Executive Director of Democracy North Carolina. “One person, one vote, the most fundamental right we have per our constitution.”
“This record turnout didn’t happen because voting was easy,” said Jeff Loperfido, Chief Counsel for Voting Rights at Southern Coalition for Social Justice. “It happened because North Carolinians refused to be pushed out. Young voters nearly doubled their early vote, and Hispanic voters more than tripled theirs, even as barriers to the ballot kept piling up. Voters did their part. Now election officials have to do theirs by counting every lawfully cast ballot and certifying the results.”
Democracy NC and SCSJ will be reviewing preliminary data throughout the week as provisional ballots and cured ballots start to be processed. Analysis of the 2026 Midterms is complex due to election laws like voter ID, printing and mailing delays of absentee ballots, and voters being removed from the voter rolls or having their votes spoiled in the weeks leading up to the election. Some initial data points of note*:
- Based on unofficial results, more than 4.2 million North Carolinians cast their ballots this fall out of 7.9 million registered voters, compared to 3.79 million in the 2022 Midterms and 3.75 in 2018.
- Statewide, more than 2.7 million voters (about 35 percent of all registered voters) cast their ballot during in-person Early Voting, with an additional 100,000 ballots cast by mail, 717,000 more than during the 2022 Midterms, for an overall increase of 36 percent.
- 98 out of 100 counties finished with higher turnout than 2022, save only Alexander and Columbus Counties. Hyde County had the overall highest increase since 2022 of 77 percent.
- Since 2022, every political party grew and every group topped its 2022 early voting record, with Democrats up 37.8 percent, Republicans up 11.2 percent, and Unaffiliated voters by 58.9 percent.
- Every race, age, and party group tracked by data analysts with Southern Coalition for Social Justice beat its 2022 early vote. Hispanic early voters more than tripled (an increase of 211 percent) and Asian voters more than doubled (107 percent). Meanwhile, young voters nearly doubled among 18- to 25-year-olds (95 percent) and 26- to 40-year-olds (60 percent).
* These numbers will not be finalized until the statewide post-election canvass, expected on November 24, 2026, to ensure all votes have been counted correctly and required audits have been completed. Those interested in being part of the canvassing process can learn more at demnc.co/canvass.
The nonpartisan voter protection hotline (888-OUR-VOTE), operated by Democracy NC, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and other partners, in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, received more than 3,000 calls in the weeks leading up to the election, with more than 1,000 calls on Election Day alone. The most common issues on the hotline pertained to challenges around voter registration, either due to voters not registering in time, not changing their registration after moving, or having failed registrations. The hotline received reports of voter intimidation, including aggressive electioneers roving at sites, and reports of federal monitors from the U.S. Department of Justice present in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties, as well as Congressional Districts 1 and 11. The photo voter ID requirement continues to be a barrier or challenge for many voters, as well as instances of misinformation from pollworkers. (Analysis of the Voter Protection Hotline is preliminary and based on a point-in-time analysis of data. Future analyses may differ.)
Democracy North Carolina’s nonpartisan Vote Protector program, which works to ensure every eligible voter in our state can successfully cast their ballot, had nearly 1,400 volunteers monitoring more than 600 voting sites across 77 North Carolina counties across all 18 days of midterm elections.
Now the state begins the all important post-election canvass period, where advocates will continue their efforts to protect our elections.
“Election night is not results night,” said Kyle Brazile, Deputy Director of Democracy North Carolina. “Through the canvassing process, we’re going to make sure every vote is counted. Volunteers are not only helping protect the election on Election Day but monitoring the canvass across the state to assure all votes are counted.”
Even when local elections officials say “100% of precincts reporting,” they may still be waiting on thousands of vote-by-mail and provisional ballots that are uncounted and can swing close races. Voters can see whether their ballot has been accepted at demnc.co/lookup, while voters who cast a provisional ballot can check demnc.co/provisional to see whether their ballot needs to be cured ahead of the deadline on Tuesday, November 10.
“The county boards will be counting all of the provisional and mail-in ballots from overseas and military voters during the county canvass on November 13,” said Joselle Torres, Communications Manager at Democracy North Carolina. “This is a clear reminder to everyone – the president cannot declare a winner, a candidate cannot declare a winner, and a party cannot declare a winner before the county and state board certifies the race.”