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:
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% |
