Registered Voters in North Carolina, along with Texas and Arkansas, get to cast the first primary votes for the 2026 midterm elections in November. Voting today (if you haven’t already) is the best way you can support our American democracy, Democracy depends on an engaged population, and one of the most important duties of American citizens is to vote.

The North Carolina State Board of Election reports that 9% of registered voters have already voted, which is an increase from those who voted early in the 2022 or 2024 primaries. However, there is a noticeable difference in turnout between the parties. NC Newsline produced the following chart of early voting participants in NC primaries:

https://ncnewsline.com/2026/03/02/north-carolina-early-primary-voting-surges-ahead-of-2024-driven-by-democratic-enthusiasm/

This is particularly interesting because this year, for the first time in recent history at least, there are more NC voters registered as Republicans than those registered as Democrats. However, the largest contingent of voters are independent of either party. The nearly 7.7 million registered voters in North Carolina (as of January 2026) are now 38.89% unaffiliated, 30.24% Republican and 30.21% Democratic.

I’ve already written about the reasons it is worth voting in the primaries at: https://blissfullu.com/2026/02/25/why-all-registered-north-carolina-voters-should-vote-in-the-primaries-on-march-3-especially-if-you-arent-satisfied-with-the-status-quo/ . In a heavily gerrymandered state like North Carolina, many primary contests effectively determine the winning candidate in November. And some contests, such as the Wake County District Attorney race, don’t have any opponents in the other parties. And, of course, voting is always a great way to Restore the Storge (https://blissfullu.com/2026/02/17/a-storge-valentines-day/).

If you are an NC Triangle voter and this is new to you, here’s what to do:

• First, go to the NC Board of Elections to get your sample ballot for the primary at:  https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/sample-ballot.
• Then, go to the extensive election coverage section of INDY WEEK at: https://indyweek.com/elections2026/
• Make sure to bring a photo ID with you and get to your voting place before 7:30 tonight. Anyone in line before the 7:30 PM deadline is guaranteed the right to vote tonight, no matter how long the lines are.

I hope we have a record turnout this year, and that you are a part of it!

PS–Just to confirm, my son and I went to early voting last Thursday, so I am walking my talk.