An Update from the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service
North Carolinians express substantial support for the state's existing voting options and election administration, while also showing some meaningful partisan differences on specific election policies.
With North Carolina finalizing the 17 days of early voting, respondents believe this window of convenience voting is the right amount of access. Seven in 10 (71%) say North Carolina's current number of early, in-person voting days is about the right amount, while fewer than two in 10 (19%) say there are too many days and only 11% say there are too few.
“This strong public consensus around the current early-voting period continues from when we asked the same question two years ago,” said Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history and director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which commissioned the online YouGov survey of 1,000 weighted North Carolina respondents ages 18 and older between July 30-Aug. 10, 2026. The adjusted margin of error for the overall sample is ±3.59 percentage points. Results should be viewed as informative estimates rather than definitive measures of public opinion.
“While recent discussions have focused on reducing early voting during primary elections and keeping the current number of days for general elections, 78% of survey respondents said there should be the same number of early-voting days for primaries and general elections, with only 9% disagreeing,” Bitzer said. Another 13% didn’t know.
Support for keeping the same number of days for primary and general elections was also across the partisan spectrum.
“It appears that North Carolinians value a level of consistency and predictability in their state’s election administration, especially when it comes to convenience voting,” Bitzer added.
North Carolinians also favor Sunday early voting, although a significant minority prefers local discretion when selecting two potential Sundays. Half of the respondents (50%) said that all 100 counties should offer voting on both Sundays during the early-voting period, while another 31% said counties should decide for themselves if Sunday voting occurs. Fewer than two in 10 (19%) said no counties should offer Sunday voting.
“Overall, 81% of North Carolinians believe Sunday voting should be available somewhere, either statewide or at a county’s discretion,” Bitzer said.
But there’s a pronounced partisan difference regarding a statewide requirement: While 62% of Democrats and 51% of independents believe the state should require both Sundays for early voting, a plurality of Republicans (39%) agreed.
WITH PHOTO ID FOR VOTING, NORTH CAROLINIANS WANT ELECTION SECURITY WITH PROTECTIONS FOR ELIGIBLE VOTERS
The survey finds that North Carolinians broadly support requiring photo identification to vote. More than eight in 10 respondents (83%) support photo ID requirements, including 62% who strongly support them. Just 12% oppose such requirements, while 5% are unsure.
Partisans were also highly supportive: While Republicans are nearly unanimous in their support (98%), more than 70% of Democrats (73%) and 80% of independents (81%) also support them.
After asking about overall support for photo ID, the survey then divided respondents into two groups. The first group was given two statements regarding potential concerns about photo ID, along with a balancing option of selecting both statements:
|
|
North Carolina |
Democratic Self-Identification |
Independent Self-Identification |
Republican Self-Identification |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Requiring photo ID to vote is necessary to ensure election security, even if it may make voting more difficult for some people. |
48% |
30% |
41% |
72% |
|
Requiring photo ID to vote may prevent some eligible voters from casting a ballot, even if it helps ensure election security. |
21% |
32% |
24% |
10% |
|
Both equally |
23% |
29% |
29% |
16% |
|
Neither/Not sure |
8% |
9% |
7% |
3% |
The second group of respondents was given a more direct set of responses:
|
|
North Carolina |
Democratic Self-Identification |
Independent Self-Identification |
Republican Self-Identification |
|
It is necessary to ensure election security |
68% |
54% |
66% |
92% |
|
It is not necessary and risks preventing eligible voters from casting a ballot |
18% |
33% |
17% |
4% |
|
Neither reflects my view |
7% |
10% |
10% |
1% |
|
Not sure/No opinion |
6% |
2% |
6% |
3% |
These tests weighed how voters view the goals of election security and ensuring eligible voters are not prevented from casting a ballot. When presented with a balanced set of tradeoffs, 48% said photo ID requirements are necessary to ensure election security, while 21% said the requirements may prevent some eligible voters from voting. Nearly one-quarter, 23%, said both concerns are equally important.
The more direct version of the tradeoff question found that 68% said photo ID is necessary to ensure election security, compared with 18% who said it is not necessary and risks preventing eligible voters from voting.
“Voters show strong overall support for photo ID laws, but the findings also show that many see election security and voter access as goals that should be pursued together,” Bitzer said. “The results suggest there is room for policy approaches that strengthen confidence in elections while ensuring every eligible voter can cast a ballot.”
Supporters of photo ID were especially likely to cite election security as the primary rationale. However, when given an option to acknowledge both sides of the issue, one in four photo ID supporters said election security and voter access concerns are equally important.
MAJORITIES SAY COUNT SUBMITTED BALLOTS EVEN IF VOTER DIES BEFORE ELECTION DAY
More than 60% (62%) of North Carolinians believe that submitted ballots should be counted if a voter dies before Election Day, while a quarter (24%) believe they should not be counted. Across partisan identification, majorities favored counting the deceased voter’s ballot: 55% of Republicans, 60% of independents and 77% of Democrats.
FAVORABILITY IN NORTH CAROLINA’S VOTING METHODS VARIES
Not surprisingly, North Carolinians rank voting on Election Day as the highest of the three methods of casting ballots: Three-quarters (74%) say they are favorable to Election Day voting, with only 9% saying they view that voting method unfavorably.
Six in 10 respondents were favorable to early, in-person voting, while 12% were unfavorable. Mail-in voting garnered a bare majority, 51%, who viewed it favorably, compared with 20% who were unfavorable to that voting method.
“And yet, even with this low level of favorability, 62% of North Carolinians were confident that mail-in voting was a secure way to cast a ballot in the state,” Bitzer noted. “This was up from two years ago, when we found that 57% were confident in mail-in voting’s security. And most of that shift was due to Republicans viewing mail-in ballots as a secure method, from only 34% saying they were confident in August 2024 to 52% this year.”
This is the third of several press releases from the August 2026 Catawba College-YouGov Survey of North Carolinians. The final release will report on North Carolinians’ attitudes about the three proposed constitutional amendments for the November 2026 general election; the state of democracy; encouraging voter turnout with tax dollars; and where Republicans stand as either Trump or party supporters.
You may find additional details about the poll’s finding, methodology, and responses below.
About the Center for NC Politics and Public Service
The Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service at Catawba College is dedicated to enriching civic dialogue, deepening understanding, and fostering engagement within North Carolina. Through non-partisan initiatives, the Center promotes the ideals of public service, civic character and engagement, and informed citizenship across the state. By educating North Carolinians about the state's political dynamics and emphasizing the value of public service, the Center cultivates practical political understanding and encourages active civic participation. In doing so, it helps instill a lasting respect for public life and being a responsible citizen — both among Catawba College students and throughout the wider North Carolina community.
About Catawba College
Founded in 1851, Catawba College is a four-year, private, liberal arts college located in Salisbury, N.C. Ranked as one of the best regional colleges in the South, Catawba is known for its intellectual rigor, dedicated faculty, beautiful campus, and strong commitment to sustainability and the environment. The College offers more than 70 undergraduate and four graduate programs allowing students to explore diverse interests and create their own academic pathway. Additional information is available at catawba.edu.
