The North Carolina State Board of Elections has records showing the number of registered voters in each party, going back to 1966. During the entire period from 1966 to the present, there have always been more registered Democrats than registered Republicans in the state. The margin was once very strongly Democratic. For example, in October 1972, there were 1,729,436 Democrats and 541,916 Republicans.

But Republicans have been catching up. As of the December 13, 2025 tally, there are only 1,216 more Democrats than Republicans. North Carolina puts up a tally every Saturday, and the Democratic margin has shrunk in every tally this calendar year.

The only other state in the south in which there are more registered Democrats than Republicans in Louisiana. Most southern states don’t have registration by party. Republicans are also gaining on Democrats in Louisiana. The latest Louisiana tally shows 29,843 more Democrats than Republicans.