North Carolina: Rise of the Independents

This is very interesting (you’ve got to check out these maps):

Between April 2000 and March 2008, the overall number of registered voters in North Carolina increased from 4.93 million to 5.66 million, an increase just shy of 15 percent. This net increase is the result of new registration and the purging of no longer valid registrations from the voter rolls.

Net Democratic registration increased by approximately 40,800 voters, an increase of less than 2 percent, and this increase was spread unevenly across the state. The number of registered Democrats decreased in 72 counties. In only two counties – Mecklenburg and Wake, the largest counties – did Democratic registration outpace overall voter registration, with increases of 24.4 and 23 percent respectively.

Net Republican registration increased by approximately 259,300 voters, an increase of 15.5 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 46 counties, with increases ranging from 15 percent to 105 percent.

Net other registration (Unaffiliated and Libertarian in 2000, only Unaffiliated in 2008) increased by approximately 432,700 voters, an increase of 56.7 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 half the state’s counties.

This says nothing about who will actually turn out to vote. But it does suggest that North Carolina is getting, well, purpler.
-Max Borders