Analysis
North Carolina added more than a million reported early and absentee ballots in a week
North Carolina reported 1,040,590 more early and absentee ballots between activity cutoffs October 19 and October 26, 2026.
Evidence as of
North Carolina’s reported early and absentee ballots more than doubled between two October snapshots. The total rose from 733,299 through October 19 to 1,773,889 through October 26, a net increase of 1,040,590. Those activity cutoffs were 15 and eight days before the November 3 election. The figures come from the State Board of Elections’ October 20 and October 27 reports. Sources: North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-20, North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-27
In-person early voting accounted for almost all of that increase. Its reported count rose from 689,133 to 1,708,048, adding 1,018,915 ballots. Civilian mail, military and overseas ballots together rose from 44,166 to 65,841, adding 21,675. These are changes between cumulative reports, rather than a count of ballots cast on each intervening day; processing and corrections can affect the totals. Sources: North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-20, North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-27
Through October 26, the report counted 726,637 ballots associated with Democratic registrants, 430,032 with Republican registrants and 612,718 with unaffiliated registrants. Relative to each group’s registered population, those figures were 31.08%, 18.45% and 19.33%, respectively. Registration does not reveal candidate choice, and these partial counts do not establish final turnout. Data: North Carolina State Board of Elections. Analysis: 21CEE. Sources: North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-27
Same statewide 2026 General election and native reported-ballot field. Dates are activity cutoffs; changes are cumulative reporting differences, not observed daily casts.
| Mode | Through Oct. 19 | Through Oct. 26 | Net reported change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All reported early/absentee ballots | 733,299 | 1,773,889 | +1,040,590 |
| In-person early voting | 689,133 | 1,708,048 | +1,018,915 |
| Civilian mail, military and overseas | 44,166 | 65,841 | +21,675 |
Sources: North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-20, North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-27
The denominator for each rate is that registration group’s registered population in the October 27 report. Registration does not establish vote choice.
| Registration | Reported ballots | Registered population | Reported ballots / registered population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 726,637 | 2,338,014 | 31.08% |
| Republican | 430,032 | 2,330,462 | 18.45% |
| Unaffiliated | 612,718 | 3,170,212 | 19.33% |
Sources: North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-27
Source note: NC State Board of Elections reports dated October 20 and October 27, 2026, covering activity through the preceding day. Administrative reported counts across 100 counties, not a survey sample. Acceptance status and unique-person deduplication are not separately established. No matched-stage 2018 or 2022 growth comparison is claimed. Data: North Carolina State Board of Elections. Analysis and graphic: 21CEE. Sources: North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-20, North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-27
Sources & data
- North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-20 · North Carolina State Board of Elections · (publication time unavailable)
- North Carolina 2026 General daily absentee statistics report, 2026-10-27 · North Carolina State Board of Elections · (publication time unavailable)
Credits
Analysis: 21CEE editorial analysis (organization).
Corrections & updates
No corrections recorded.