UPDATED MAY 14, 2008
Between April 2000 and May 10, 2008, the overall number of registered voters in North Carolina increased from 4.93 million to 5.81 million, an increase just shy of 18 percent (17.9 percent). This net increase is the result of new registration and the purging of no longer valid registrations from the voter rolls. In 2000, Democrats made up 51percent of registration statewide, Republicans made up 34 percent, and Unaffiliated and Libertarian voters together comprised 15 percent. By May 2008, those figures had changed to 45 percent Democrat, 33 percent Republican, and 21 percent Unaffiliated.
Net Democratic registration increased by approximately 137,400 voters, an increase of 5.5 percent, and this increase was spread unevenly across the state. The number of registered Democrats decreased in 65 counties. In only two counties - Mecklenburg and Wake, the largest counties - did Democratic registration outpace overall voter registration, with increases of 31.4 and 30.0 percent respectively.
Net Republican registration increased by approximately 261,900 voters, an increase of 15.7 percent; this increase was also spread unevenly across the state. The number of registered Republicans decreased in 12 counties. Republican registration outpaced overall voter registration in 42 counties, with increases ranging from 18 percent to 106 percent.
Net other registration (Unaffiliated and Libertarian in 2000, only Unaffiliated in 2008) increased by approximately 481,100 voters, an increase of 63.0 percent. The number of Unaffiliated/Other voters increased in all 100 counties, and in fact outpaced overall voter registration in all 100 counties. Net Unaffiliated/Other registration increased at least four times as much as overall voter registration in nearly half the state's counties.
