November 21, 2024
RALEIGH — Optimism about the direction of the country and North Carolina has surged among voters following the 2024 general election, according to the latest Carolina Journal poll. Nearly half of voters (48%) believe the U.S. is headed in the right direction following the 2024 election, a 21-point increase since this question was last polled, while half (50%) say North Carolina is on the right track, a 12-point increase since this question was last polled. Republicans were more likely to express optimism on the direction of the state and nation than Democrats, but Republicans were less content with the direction of the state (60%) than the direction of the nation (91%).
Two-thirds (69%) of voters expressed confidence that the election was held free and fair. While confidence was high across party lines, Democrats were the most likely to express doubts, with 43% saying they were not confident. Democrats were also more likely than Republicans to be doubtful that the primaries produced the best candidates. Only 38% of Democrats believe the primaries produced the best candidates, compared to 65% of Republicans. Independents felt similarly to Democrats on this matter, with only 37% of them being satisfied by the primary outcomes.
“It is reassuring that most North Carolinians trust our elections,” said Carolina Journal publisher and John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson. “However, the doubts expressed by some voters highlight the ongoing need for transparency and reforms that foster trust across the political spectrum.”
Bryson continued, “It is interesting to note that, while Republicans were previously more concerned with election security, it appears Democrats have taken greater issue upon losing the White House and both chambers of Congress.”
Less than 10% of voters were unhappy with the results of both the state and national elections. A plurality of voters (34.4%) said they were happy with the state results but unhappy with the national results, 24.5% said they were happy with the national results but unhappy with the state results, and 25.6% said they were happy with both the national and state results. Republicans were more likely to be happy with national results, and Democrats were more likely to be happy with state results.
A majority of North Carolina voters are willing to split their ballots. Approximately one-fifth of voters said they vote for multiple parties, 47.5% said that they generally support one party but occasionally select candidates from other parties, and only 30.9% said they always vote for candidates from the same party.
Regardless of how folks vote, the vast majority (89.7%) of North Carolinians believe it is important for the newly-elected Democratic Governor and Republican-led General Assembly to compromise on important issues.
“It’s not enough to expect to ride a party wave in North Carolina,” continued Bryson. “Voters in our state care about the issues, and they care who their candidates are. Elected officials will need to stay committed to solving the issues that are most important to voters in order to keep their offices in another four years.”
When asked what the top two issues most important were to them this election cycle, 36.6% of voters mentioned inflation, 31.6% mentioned immigration, 30.9% mentioned threats to democracy, 24.4% mentioned jobs/economy, 21.9% mentioned abortion, 11.5% mentioned taxes/spending, 10.2% mentioned education, 8.5% mentioned energy/environment, 8.4% mentioned threats to free speech, and 5.1% said crime/public safety. When asked who or what the largest influence was in their voting decisions this year, 77.5% of people said personal research, 8.6% said the media, 4.1% said immediate family members, 3.2% said campaign outreach, and 1.5% said friends.
When voters were asked what two issues the next General Assembly should focus on, 31.8% mentioned cutting taxes, 26.9% mentioned improving state infrastructure, 25.3% mentioned increasing education spending, 20.4% mentioned increasing government transparency, 17.3% mentioned reducing spending by the state government, 15.5% mentioned hurricane relief and recovery, 14% mentioned protecting free speech, 12.9% mentioned protecting the environment, 7.2% mentioned strengthening the energy grid 7.1% mentioned reducing regulations, and 5.7% mentioned expanding school choice.
There has been much speculation about the down-ballot effects of Mark Robinson remaining on the general election ballot. When asked whether their opinions about Mark Robinson affected their vote, 49% of Democrats, 34% of Independents, and 19% of Republicans said that their opinion of him at least “somewhat” affected their decision to vote against other Republican candidates for other statewide offices. Trump voters were the least likely to have their down-ballot races impacted by their opinions of Robinson.
When polled about Donald Trump, voters were split. A slim plurality of 47.2% said they at least “somewhat” approve of him as president. Newly-elected governor Josh Stein saw higher approval ratings, at 53.2%, and significantly lower disapproval, at 24.9%.