Monday, October 6, 2014

Where is the Surge of Democrats & Unaffiliated Voters In NC's Mail-In Ballots?

What has been most notable about North Carolina's mail-in ballots for the 2014 general election has been the surge in not only ballots from registered Democrats but from unaffiliated voters as well.

The other posts so far have been tracking the cumulative and daily totals of the mail-in absentee ballots, but with this post, I wanted to take a look at the location of these mail-in ballots to get a sense from 2010's election.

Statewide, as of October 5th, this year's total of requested mail-in ballots is currently at 45 percent of the 2010's total number of accepted mail-in ballots.  But within those 24,765 ballots and the final month of campaigning, Democrats are currently at 51 percent of their total 2010 numbers, with requests from unaffiliated voters at 56 percent of their totals four years ago.  In contrast, requests from registered Republicans are only 35 percent of their 2010 total numbers.

In terms of the counties with the largest overall requested ballots (for all voters), it is the typical counties that you would expect to see:

  • Wake County (home to Raleigh): 3,173, with both Democrats and unaffiliated percentages at 76 and 71 percent of their final 2010 accepted ballot numbers, respectively.
  • Mecklenburg County (home to Charlotte): 2,996, with unaffiliated voters at 73 percent and Democrats at 61 percent compared to their final 2010 accepted ballots numbers; however, Republicans lead in raw numbers, with 1,262 to Democrats 967 and unaffiliated's 764. 
  • Guilford County (home to Greensboro): 1,512, with Democrats at 57 percent and unaffiliated at 58 percent.

In looking at the state's one hundred counties, 33 counties are seeing registered Democrats requesting ballots at a level over 50 percent from their 2010 total numbers; for example, Greene County's requested ballots from Democrats is 268 percent over their total 2010 accepted ballots number. Two other counties, Bladen and Onslow, are also over 100 percent in requested ballots compared to their 2010 final accepted ballot totals.

Registered unaffiliated voters requesting ballots are over 50 percent of their accepted ballots from 2010 in 40 counties.  While Robeson County's percentage of unaffiliated voters is 815 percent, the raw numbers are that requested mail-in ballots from unaffiliated voters is at 106 as of 10-5, while the total accepted ballots from unaffiliated voters in 2010 was only 13.  

Only 10 counties have registered Republicans over 50 percent of their requested ballots from 2010's total mail-in absentee ballots.

Below is a map indicating the counties where Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated (or some combination thereof) are currently at 50 percent in requested ballots compared to their total 2010 mail-in accepted ballots.  


Granted, not all requested ballots will be returned and accepted, but the surge in both Democratic and unaffiliated voters, in comparison to four years ago, is one of the early remarkable aspects to this year's heated electoral contest in North Carolina.

For those interested, here are the 100 North Carolina counties with their percentages of current requested mail-in absentee ballots (as of 10-5-14) to their final 2010 accepted ballot numbers:


2014 % as of 10-5-14 of 2010's Totals
Party Registration:
Democratic Republican Unaffiliated TOTAL
State 51% 35% 56% 45%
ALAMANCE 74% 28% 60% 48%
ALEXANDER 10% 23% 35% 20%
ALLEGHANY 28% 77% 67% 47%
ANSON 21% 4% 17% 17%
ASHE 32% 44% 35% 37%
AVERY 13% 32% 61% 35%
BEAUFORT 59% 34% 53% 47%
BERTIE 38% 16% 30% 32%
BLADEN 122% 63% 264% 134%
BRUNSWICK 59% 40% 48% 46%
BUNCOMBE 68% 63% 83% 70%
BURKE 27% 34% 45% 32%
CABARRUS 35% 27% 47% 33%
CALDWELL 32% 19% 40% 27%
CAMDEN 19% 27% 13% 19%
CARTERET 64% 51% 90% 63%
CASWELL 25% 37% 27% 31%
CATAWBA 31% 33% 80% 40%
CHATHAM 92% 43% 73% 70%
CHEROKEE 34% 23% 31% 28%
CHOWAN 12% 27% 26% 21%
CLAY 22% 42% 32% 32%
CLEVELAND 33% 30% 64% 37%
COLUMBUS 11% 16% 14% 13%
CRAVEN 53% 44% 62% 51%
CUMBERLAND 56% 35% 58% 48%
CURRITUCK 21% 33% 17% 24%
DARE 35% 33% 61% 40%
DAVIDSON 46% 28% 40% 34%
DAVIE 22% 28% 40% 29%
DUPLIN 35% 30% 56% 36%
DURHAM 72% 61% 57% 65%
EDGECOMBE 23% 13% 33% 22%
FORSYTH 31% 33% 32% 32%
FRANKLIN 70% 26% 51% 44%
GASTON 37% 29% 35% 33%
GATES 11% 0% 20% 10%
GRAHAM 16% 23% 40% 23%
GRANVILLE 57% 44% 58% 52%
GREENE 268% 26% 31% 171%
GUILFORD 57% 39% 58% 48%
HALIFAX 60% 14% 56% 54%
HARNETT 36% 38% 52% 40%
HAYWOOD 61% 37% 45% 48%
HENDERSON 52% 31% 51% 40%
HERTFORD 33% 5% 50% 30%
HOKE 52% 27% 30% 35%
HYDE 0% 60% 56% 24%
IREDELL 22% 35% 49% 34%
JACKSON 54% 34% 44% 45%
JOHNSTON 61% 31% 73% 47%
JONES 17% 18% 14% 17%
LEE 27% 20% 45% 27%
LENOIR 90% 19% 90% 67%
LINCOLN 10% 29% 18% 19%
MACON 28% 42% 34% 37%
MADISON 34% 17% 64% 32%
MARTIN 10% 7% 31% 13%
MCDOWELL 15% 21% 52% 24%
MECKLENBURG 61% 46% 73% 56%
MITCHELL 38% 16% 10% 16%
MONTGOMERY 45% 36% 32% 39%
MOORE 50% 31% 50% 39%
NASH 50% 27% 43% 38%
NEW HANOVER 42% 22% 44% 32%
NORTHAMPTON 9% 17% 15% 11%
ONSLOW 108% 62% 79% 77%
ORANGE 73% 28% 74% 64%
PAMLICO 71% 33% 94% 58%
PASQUOTANK 37% 77% 43% 52%
PENDER 22% 28% 63% 31%
PERQUIMANS 17% 67% 36% 36%
PERSON 34% 33% 100% 44%
PITT 70% 20% 41% 50%
POLK 29% 29% 38% 31%
RANDOLPH 63% 35% 34% 39%
RICHMOND 17% 11% 14% 15%
ROBESON 77% 47% 815% 120%
ROCKINGHAM 25% 33% 38% 31%
ROWAN 64% 38% 56% 47%
RUTHERFORD 59% 28% 38% 39%
SAMPSON 15% 25% 24% 21%
SCOTLAND 38% 21% 7% 27%
STANLY 33% 22% 47% 30%
STOKES 15% 24% 17% 19%
SURRY 31% 35% 38% 34%
SWAIN 30% 48% 33% 34%
TRANSYLVANIA 60% 46% 70% 57%
TYRRELL 0% 100% 150% 29%
UNION 48% 34% 54% 40%
VANCE 19% 11% 42% 20%
WAKE 76% 35% 71% 55%
WARREN 45% 38% 130% 54%
WASHINGTON 17% 22% 38% 23%
WATAUGA 42% 28% 37% 36%
WAYNE 80% 50% 45% 60%
WILKES 19% 29% 20% 23%
WILSON 21% 26% 53% 26%
YADKIN 18% 38% 24% 30%
YANCEY 44% 34% 38% 39%