2023 Municipal Election Turnout
Overview
In 2023, 495 municipalities across 89 counties held elections. More than 1,000 contests have determined mayors, council members, aldermen, and other local seats. More than 3,100 candidates filed to run for office in 2023. To view candidate listings, visit our Candidate Lists page.
Explore turnout statistics for the September, October, and November municipal elections, as well as comparative statistics for recent municipal election years.
Overall Turnout
So far in 2023, more than 613,000 North Carolinians have voted in a municipal election. This section will contain turnout statistics for the September, October, and November municipal elections as they become available.
2023 Municipal Elections Voter Turnout
In the table below, see the breakdown of voter turnout by election.
| Election | Voters Registered in Municipalities Holding Elections | Ballots Cast in Municipal Elections | % Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/12/2023 | 485,449 | 23,951 | 4.9% |
| 10/10/2023 | 705,404 | 74,824 | 10.6% |
| 11/07/2023 | 3,247,872 | 515,060 | 15.9% |
| Total | 4,438,725 | 613,835 | 13.8% |
2023 Municipal Elections Voter Turnout by Voting Method
In the table below, see the percentages of voters who voted by mail, in person during early voting, in person on Election Day, and provisionally.
| Election | By Mail | Early Voting | In Person on Election Day | Provisional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/12/2023 | 1.1% | 35.6% | 63% | <1% |
| 10/10/2023 | 1.2% | 44.1% | 54.3% | <1% |
| 11/07/2023 | 1.2% | 29.2% | 69.2% | <1% |
Comparative Statistics
Explore the turnout data for all participating municipalities during the three previous municipal election years below. Navigate the visualizations at the bottom of the page to find early voting data for the two previous municipal election years. For all previous elections results, visit the Election Results Dashboard.
2021 Municipal Elections Voter Turnout
In 2021, more than 338,000 North Carolina voters voted in at least one municipal election. In the table below, see the breakdown of voter turnout by election.
| Election | Voters Registered in Municipalities Holding Elections | Ballots Cast in Municipal Elections | % Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/5/2021 | 314,052 | 28,748 | 9% |
| 11/2/2021 | 2,081,396 | 336,410 | 16% |
2019 Municipal Elections Voter Turnout
In 2019, more than 630,000 North Carolina voters voted in at least one municipal election. In the table below, see the breakdown of voter turnout by election.
| Election | Voters Registered in Municipalities Holding Elections | Ballots Cast in Municipal Elections | % Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/10/2019 | 530,697 | 114,876* | 22%* |
| 10/8/2019 | 917,916 | 118,835 | 13% |
| 11/5/2019 | 3,073,903 | 500,640 | 16% |
*For the 9/10/2019 election, City of Charlotte voters voted for municipal contests as well as a federal contest.
2017 Municipal Elections Voter Turnout
In 2017, more than 650,000 North Carolina voters voted in at least one municipal election. In the table below, see the breakdown of voter turnout by election.
| Election | Voters Registered in Municipalities Holding Elections | Ballots Cast in Municipal Elections | % Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/12/2017 | 588,267 | 45,140 | 8% |
| 10/10/2017 | 1,323,322 | 158,036 | 12% |
| 11/7/2017 | 3,569,497 | 600,443 | 17% |