North Carolina’s split vote trend: What drives voter choices?

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina plays a pivotal role in national elections, often supporting Republicans in recent presidential races. However, when it comes to state-level races, voters tend to split their tickets.

We spoke with Nelson Beaulieu, a political science and history instructor at Cape Fear Community College, about the factors influencing voter decisions in the state.

Beaulieu explained that while voters often consider a range of issues when casting their ballots, the economy was the main focus this time around.

But despite supporting Trump at the federal level, many North Carolinians chose to elect a Democratic governor, demonstrating that voters are willing to split their votes based on different factors.

Beaulieu shared some insights into why this split ticket voting happens. “If voters feel good about the direction of the country, they may be more willing to consider the opposing party at the state level—especially if they think the state is doing well,” he explained.

He also pointed out that candidate quality plays a big role. “A lot of this comes down to candidate quality. For many North Carolinians, they weren’t comfortable with Lt. Governor Robinson’s statements and, as a result, didn’t feel right about putting him in the governor’s mansion.”

Beaulieu added that split ticket voting is more common when gubernatorial elections and national elections coincide, as voters weigh local issues alongside broader national concerns.