Voter Turnout
Overview
Explore North Carolina voter turnout across decades of primaries and general elections in U.S. presidential and non-presidential election years. To explore statistics and visualizations from the most recent presidential election, visit 2020 General Election Turnout.
General Election Turnout Stats
Turnout in Presidential Election Years: 1972-Present
| Election | Total Eligible Voters | Total Ballots Cast | Turnout Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 General | 7,359,798 | 5,545,848 | 75.35% |
| 2016 General | 6,914,248 | 4,769,640 | 68.98% |
| 2012 General | 6,639,131 | 4,540,488 | 68.40% |
| 2008 General | 6,262,566 | 4,354,052 | 69.53% |
| 2004 General | 5,526,981 | 3,551,675 | 64.26% |
| 2000 General | 5,122,123 | 3,015,964 | 58.88% |
| 1996 General | 4,277,000 | 2,513,357 | 58.76% |
| 1992 General | 3,817,380 | 2,611,850 | 68.40% |
| 1988 General | 3,432,040 | 2,134,370 | 62.19% |
| 1984 General | 3,270,933 | 2,239,051 | 68.45% |
| 1980 General | 2,774,844 | 1,855,833 | 66.88% |
| 1976 General | 2,553,717 | 1,677,906 | 65.70% |
| 1972 General | 2,357,645 | 1,518,612 | 64.41% |
Turnout in Non-Presidential Election Years: 1974-Present
| Election | Total Eligible Voters | Total Ballots Cast | Turnout Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 General | Coming soon | Coming soon | Coming soon |
| 2018 General | 7,089,657 | 3,755,778 | 52.98% |
| 2014 General | 6,628,521 | 2,918,052 | 44.02% |
| 2010 General | 6,172,787 | 2,700,393 | 43.57% |
| 2006 General | 5,567,424 | 2,036,451 | 36.58% |
| 2002 General | 5,003,297 | 2,349,966 | 46.97% |
| 1998 General | 4,700,799 | 2,012,149 | 42.80% |
| 1994 General | 3,635,875 | 1,533,728 | 42.18% |
| 1990 General | 3,347,635 | 2,068,904 | 61.80% |
| 1986 General | 3,080,990 | 1,591,330 | 51.65% |
| 1982 General | 2,674,787 | 1,330,630 | 49.75% |
| 1978 General | 2,430,306 | 1,135,814 | 46.74% |
| 1974 General | 2,279,646 | 1,020,367 | 44.76% |
Voting Method in Presidential Election Years: 2008-Present
| Election | Absentee By-Mail | One-Stop Early Voting | Election Day In-Person | Provisional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 General | 18% | 65% | 16% | <1% |
| 2016 General | 4% | 62% | 33% | <1% |
| 2012 General | 5% | 56% | 38% | <1% |
| 2008 General | 5% | 55.5% | 38.5% | <1% |
Percentage of total voters who used each method; Source: statewide voter history
Primary Election Turnout Stats
Turnout in Presidential Election Years: 1988-Present
| Election | Total Eligible Voters | Total Ballots Cast | Turnout Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Primary | 6,940,995 | 2,164,731 | 31.19% |
| 2016 Primary | 6,511,143 | 2,323,590 | 35.69% |
| 2012 Primary | 6,296,759 | 2,182,675 | 34.66% |
| 2008 Primary | 5,765,303 | 2,182,215 | 36.86% |
| 2004 Primary | 5,177,764 | 846,542 | 16.35% |
| 2000 Primary | 4,930,310 | 868,593 | 17.62% |
| 1996 Primary | 4,034,233 | 781,980 | 19.38% |
| 1992 Primary | 3,527,187 | 975,446 | 27.66% |
| 1988 Primary | 3,191,502 | 953,759 | 29.88% |
Turnout in Non-Presidential Election Years: 1990-Present
| Election | Total Eligible Voters | Total Ballots Cast | Turnout Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Primary | 7,236,469 | 1,432,819 | 19.80% |
| 2018 Primary | 6,674,290 | 957,627 | 14.35% |
| 2014 Primary | 6,516,126 | 1,028,600 | 15.79% |
| 2010 Primary | 6,105,831 | 880,128 | 14.41% |
| 2006 Primary | 5,460,054 | 651,086 | 11.92% |
| 2002 Primary | 4,999,736 | 1,060,667 | 21.21% |
| 1998 Primary | 4,547,438 | 805,319 | 17.71% |
| 1994 Primary | 3,544,095 | 430,838 | 12.16% |
| 1990 Primary | 3,147,867 | 538,651 | 17.11% |
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