When speakers asked the crowd at Friday’s rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Charlotte who’d already voted, the vast majority threw their hands in the air and cheered.
But some of those Harris voters say they’re still anxious about whether their fellow North Carolinians will do the same at the levels needed to propel Democrats to a presidential win in the state for the first time since former President Barack Obama was on the ballot in 2008.
Obama, the featured speaker at Friday’s rally, benefited then from high turnout among Black voters and young people. In 2008, turnout was 73% among Black voters and 63.9% among 18-25 year olds. Those numbers fell to 64.3% and 53% in 2016, respectively, and 68% and 60% in 2020.
This year, Black voter turnout is down almost 40% in North Carolina compared to 2020 early voting. And while the state set a single-day turnout record on the first day of early voting, Mecklenburg lagged record-setting 2020 levels.
Waiting in line to enter the Charlotte Convention Center for Friday’s rally, Rosaland Groves said she’s “very excited” about Harris’s chances, but “tense and nervous,” too. She’s hoping to see big turnout in Charlotte and thinks it will be pivotal to Harris’s chances in North Carolina.
“If turnout is good, I think we’ll be just fine,” she said.
Dominique Ramsey, a Generation Z voter, said she’s cautiously optimistic that her generation will turnout in the election. She’s seen an uptick in people talking about voting on social media platforms such as Reddit and is interested in Harris’s ideas about a key issue for young people: housing affordability.
“In 2016, a lot of my age group did not take this seriously,” she said of voting. “I’m glad that we’re taking it seriously now.”
Brett Hulme held a sign outside the convention center touting the Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council’s support for Harris. In addition to encouraging his fellow union members to vote, Hulme is also trying to energize friends and family who are less invested in politics.
“They’re interested in what we have to say and why we’re supporting (Harris) because a lot of them just go to work everyday. They’re not plugged in like some of us on the political spectrum,” he said.
Chris Rich said he’s registered as an unaffiliated voter and has voted Republican in the past. This year, he’s voting for Harris. Rich said he’s receiving treatment for cancer and benefited from the Affordable Care Act. He’s also concerned about what restrictions on reproductive health care would mean for his female relatives.
He’s also concerned about misinformation, especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Rich owns a home in Boone and said despite claims by Republicans of a sluggish federal response, his experience with FEMA has been positive.
”They were extremely pleasant, very kind,” he said.
Rich said Harris’ economic policies could appeal to voters like him, but he’s worried misinformation could keep some voters home or drive them away from the Democratic ticket.
“I think it’s going to be a tight election,” he said. “I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, because unfortunately there’s a lot of misinformation out there.”
Other rally goers, including Maya Lowry, were more convinced of Harris’ chances of winning North Carolina. Lowry said her Raleigh neighborhood is blanketed with Harris-Walz yard signs.
“I feel really good,” she said. “I feel hopeful.”
