MORNING LINEUP
Unaffiliated voters are casting ballots in surprisingly large numbers in the first days of early voting for the 2026 midterm in North Carolina. (Photo: Lynn Bonner/NC Newsline)
By Lynn Bonner
Early voting stats don’t predict Election Day winners, but the first few days of voting in North Carolina have produced a surprise – the eagerness among unaffiliated voters in North Carolina to cast ballots in a midterm election.
In the first five days of early voting, Thursday through Monday, unaffiliated voters cast 34% of ballots. In 2022, unaffiliated voters cast 29% of ballots over the same time.
U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley (R) shakes hands with President Donald Trump after speaking during an election rally at Pitt-Greenville Airport on October 20, 2026 in Greenville, North Carolina. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
By Trevon Spencer
Terry Holyfield, a retired factory worker from Burlington, once drove over four hours to see President Donald Trump speak. She said she’s seen him at least 10 times, and would drive even further to see him if she could.
On Tuesday, she drove over two hours to see him in Greenville, and said she’s pleased with the Trump administration’s handling of immigration and border security.
Like many other North Carolinians, she’s not happy with the cost of living as food and fuel costs continue to rise. But when voters cast their ballots on Nov. 3, Holyfield said she still plans to vote for Republicans.
Curbside voting warning sign seen at an early voting site in Carteret County, N.C., Oct. 18, 2026. (Photo: Rep. Pricey Harrison on X)
By Greg Childress
State Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, is concerned about the tone of curbside voting signs outside some North Carolina early voting sites, calling them “intimidating and threatening” and “possibly a violation of state law.”
State elections officials say the signs are meant to discourage the use of curbside voting by people who don’t need help.
MORE NEWSLINE
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MORE HEADLINES
NEWS
Trump’s NC trip is meant to help GOP candidates. Top Democrat has a message for him: ‘Keep doing it’| WRAL.com
Trump and Vance announce $25M whistleblower program to encourage public to report alleged fraud| APNews.com
Hundreds of NC complaints accuse gas stations of not lowering prices after tax pause|WRAL.com
Governor Josh Stein and other lawmakers talk gas tax suspension in Edgecombe County| CBS17.com
CNN threatens new legal action, saying it’s still being denied access to Air Force One| APNews.com
This Raleigh family stood up to NC's resistance to desegregate schools after Brown vs. Board |WUNC.org
Trump campaigns in NC as battleground district shifts toward Democrats 🔐| Raleigh News & Observer
Sibelco to invest 'hundreds of millions of dollars' in North Carolina, Lutnick says| WLOS.com
COMMENTARY
US inequality is getting worse in ways you might not expect |Raleigh News & Observer
I flipped a Trump district. Here's how Democrats can win | USA Today
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