Unaffiliated voters are biggest NC group. What are their options in primary election?

Unaffiliated is the most popular party designation in North Carolina, accounting for nearly 37% of all registered voters.

While they may not be Republicans or Democrats, most unaffiliated voters will likely choose between those two parties in the general election in November — but what do they do in a primary?

Can unaffiliated voters participate in NC primary election?

Yes. Unaffiliated voters can choose to vote in the Republican or Democratic primary on March 5. However, just like voters registered with a party, unaffiliated voters may only vote in one party’s primary race.

What if I don’t want to vote for either party?

North Carolina officially recognizes five political parties: Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green and No Labels.

If there is a primary election for one of the third parties, unaffiliated voters can request that party’s ballot instead of a Republican or Democrat ballot.

However, in 2024, the Libertarian Party will be the only third party with primary elections.

In some cases, unaffiliated voters can select a nonpartisan ballot in the primary election. These are available when a jurisdiction has a referendum on the ballot or in any nonpartisan election, such as school boards. If voters select a nonpartisan ballot, they won’t be able to vote in the primary for candidates in any partisan race, such as president or governor.

Unaffiliated voters can see all of their ballot options by searching for their voter registration online and scrolling down to the “sample ballots” section.

Do I still have time to change my party affiliation?

Yes, but not much. Changes must be completed by 5 p.m. on Feb. 9.

After that deadline, you may be eligible to register to vote or change your registration during early voting, but you can’t change your party affiliation, according to the State Board of Elections.

Voters can register online, by mail or in-person at the DMV following instructions from the State Board of Elections that can be found on the board’s website at ncsbe.gov/registering/how-register.

Do other states handle unaffiliated voters differently?

Yes. Eight states, including Florida and New York, hold “closed primaries,” meaning only voters registered with a political party may vote in that party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters cannot participate in these elections.

Sixteen states, including South Carolina and Georgia, hold “open primaries” where any voter can vote in any party’s primary election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In other states, like West Virginia and Maryland, the parties themselves can choose whether to allow unaffiliated voters to participate in their primary.

North Carolina is one of only seven states that allows unaffiliated voters to participate in any party’s primary, but limits party-affiliated voters to only their own party’s primary.