Black, Hispanic, Asian early voter turnout in North Carolina outpaces 2022 midterms
Students at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro walk to the nearest off-campus early polling site on Oct. 22, 2026. Early voting among people age 18-25 increased 95%, according to the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. (Photo by Elisha Brown/Stateline)
Black voters in North Carolina turned out for early voting at a higher rate than white voters in this year’s midterm election, reversing a trend from recent cycles, according to an analysis by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
About 39% of registered Black voters cast ballots during the in-person early voting period that began Oct. 15, compared with 36% of registered white voters, said Lucy Krueger, a data analyst with the organization.
Black early voter turnout reached roughly 584,000, up 52% from the 2022 midterms, according to the analysis.
Early voting also jumped among other demographic groups. Turnout among Hispanic voters more than tripled, rising 211% from 2022, while early turnout among Asian voters grew 107%. Participation among voters age 18-25 increased 95%, and grew 60% for those age 26-40, according to the analysis.
More than 2.7 million North Carolinians voted in person before Election Day — an increase of roughly 717,000, or 36%, compared with the 2022 midterm election. Nearly 35% of the state’s 7.9 million registered voters cast early ballots.
Of all early voters, 38% were Democrats, 35% were unaffiliated, and 26% were Republicans.
Early voting rose across 98 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, led by a 77% increase in Hyde County compared with 2022. Early turnout also grew 54% in Mecklenburg County and 52% in Wake County.
“Almost every county beat their 2022 early voting rates, and every group by race, age, and party topped 2022 early voting numbers,” Krueger said.
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