Percentage of registered voters that voted in the last general election
As an indicator of civic health, voter participation rates reflect democracy in action - the degree to which people exercise individual choices to produce community leaders and collectively influence policies and laws. Voter participation rates vary widely by age, sex, race/ethnicity, income and education. Voting is a measure of engagement, but also an expression of hope, and voter participation is closely linked to voters' level of trust and confidence in politicians and civic institutions.
In Mecklenburg County, 565,176 people voted in the 2020 general election, representing 71.8% of registered voters compared to 69% across North Carolina. Presidential election years typically see many more voters than in "mid-term," or non-presidential election years, making it difficult to compare participation rates from one election to the next. For example, Mecklenburg's voter participation rate was 46% in 2010's mid-term election, 79% in 2012's presidential election, and only 18% in 2015's local election.
All Charlotte-Mecklenburg library locations have voter registration forms available year round for customers to complete and mail to the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections.
Education Level - Bachelor's Degree
Education Level - High School Diploma
Household Income
Number of voters in prior general election divided by the total number of active registered voters.
The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections maintains current voter registration files according to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the North Carolina General Statues. However, total registered voters may include people who have moved but not notified the Board of Elections, if they did not vote in the election.
Note: Data for this variable at the NPA level are derived using individual address-level records that must be precisely located to exact addresses. It is not uncommon to have 1% to 4% of records not able to be included due to record formatting errors or the addition and subtractions of streets and housing units. Therefore, these numbers may differ slightly from other sources.
Source: Mecklenburg County Board of Elections
| Learn More | |
|---|---|
| Election Information | Explore more information from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. |
| N.C. Voting Information | Statewide voting data from the 2012 election. |
| [National voting statistics](https://www.eac.gov/research-and-data/datasets-codebooks-and-surveys | |
| The Mecklenburg electorate | Find out who makes up the electorate in Mecklenburg County and across the state. |
| Measuring Voter Turnout | See how different measures paint starkly different pictures of voter turnout. |
| Take Action | |
|---|---|
| Check Your Registration Status | Check and update your current registration information or register to vote in the next election. |
| Become a Poll Worker | Serve your community by acting as an election judge or assistant on election day. |
| ACLU-Charlotte | Education, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote initiatives in Mecklenburg County. |