Unaffiliated voters have surpassed Republicans and Democrats in the Border Belt.
The number of registered unaffiliated voters grew by at least 30% in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, and Scotland counties over the past five years, according to data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Registered Republicans have also surged, growing by more than 20% in each county during that time.
Meanwhile, registered Democratic voters decreased by at least 15%.
The shift is striking, as the region in southeastern North Carolina was a Democratic stronghold for decades. But many voters began to support more GOP candidates about 15 years ago, as they did across much of rural America.
Voters in Robeson County picked Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and then Donald Trump in the next three elections.
Columbus County Democratic Party Chair Monisha Brooks Jones said many local voters have lost trust in the party and want agency in how they cast their vote.
“The world is becoming purple,” she told the Border Belt Independent. “They’re more purple than they are blue or red, and I think you’re seeing that play out.”
Since 2021, Democratic and Republican voter registrations in Columbus County have moved in opposite directions — Democrats down 24% and Republicans up 24% — while unaffiliated registrations have grown by 31%.
In Robeson County, this change is even more pronounced. Unaffiliated voter registrations have grown by 52% in the past five years. Republican registrations are also up nearly 40%, and Democrats are down 20%.
The 59,990 unaffiliated voters across the four Border Belt counties account for 38% of the total electorate in the region.
The trend in the Border Belt echoes statewide figures. Nearly a million voters have registered as unaffiliated across the state since 2021 and now make up nearly 40% of all voters. Republican registrations have also increased, and surpassed Democrats at the beginning of this year for the first time in state history.
Jason Simmons, chairman of the state Republican Party, told The Assembly that much of the rise among unaffiliated voters can be tied to population growth. Those coming from outside the state are more likely to not hold allegiance to a specific political party.
“That unaffiliated becomes their default,” he said. “And so our mission is to continue to reach out to those people that are moving into the state.”
The registration numbers reflect a growing trend of younger voters, who have historically skewed Democratic, becoming less likely to identify with a political party.
While the Republican share of the overall electorate has remained relatively flat over the last 30 years, some local leaders say the new data is a sign of Democrats ignoring rural communities.
“This shift mirrors national trends, not any single local action on our part.” said Joe Patton, chairman of the Scotland County Republican Party. “Democratic leadership in Washington has lost touch with rural counties like Scotland County, choosing cultural and ideological battles over the real concerns of everyday people.”
The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded the Border Belt Independent a $5,000 grant to fund Data Point, a concise feature that focuses on numbers and statistics highlighting an issue or trend in the Border Belt. The Columbus County Community Foundation is a nonprofit that connects people with causes and organizations they care about. It is part of the North Carolina Community Foundation network.