NC voter registration ends Friday: Here’s what you need to know

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The deadline to register to vote for the 2020 general election in North Carolina is Friday.

Channel 9 learned the number of registered voters in the state has increased by about 5% when compared to this time in 2016.

In Mecklenburg County, registered voters are up more than 10% since 2016.

Just before the general election in 2016 there were 6.8 million registered voters in North Carolina. Now, there are about 7.2 million, which is a difference of about 300,000 voters.

WSOC SPECIAL SECTION: VOTE 2020

Election officials say part of that increase is due to population growth, but some said organizations have done a great job registering voters in the middle of the pandemic.

Parties are working hard to get more people registered before Friday’s deadline and COVID-19 hasn’t made that easy. The pandemic has limited opportunities for registration events, but volunteers are pushing eligible people to register online.

Want to vote in either NC or SC this year? Here’s how to register

Election 2020: Early voting sites in Mecklenburg County

Pastor Dewayne of Little Rock AME Zion Church organized a voter registration rally Thursday.

He believes November’s election is one of the most important in his lifetime and he thinks that will show on election day

“I think there’s excitement in the air," he said. "Enthusiasm about voting. Everyone is concerned about the direction of the nation and I believe there is going to be a wonderful turnout for this election. It will be a record breaking turnout.”

IMPORTANT: If you’re a resident in North Carolina, and haven’t registered to vote, you have until THIS FRIDAY to register by mail, or online. https://t.co/r9XrEQP8Jk #Vote #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/29OGwpi3zw
— DaShawn Brown (@DaShawnWSOC9) October 8, 2020

Channel 9 also noticed a huge spike in the number of unaffiliated voters. There are about 350,000 more of them than this time in 2016.

One political expert told us that most of them are likely young voters who are more prone to register as independent.

Unaffiliated voters may impact elections in 2020.

[PDF: NC Voter Registration Application]

[REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE]

Don’t worry, if you miss Friday’s deadline, you can still register and vote the same day at early voting sites from Oct. 15 through Oct. 31. This is called Same-Day Registration. More info here.

Election Day is Nov. 3.