Sarah Gustafson, assistant professor of politics at The Catholic University of America, led the discussion, titled 鈥淭he Declaration of Independence and the American Political Imagination.鈥� Gustafson鈥檚 research is focused on 19th century political thought, particularly the work of French political thinker, Alexis de Tocqueville, whose writings on American democracy became a central focus of her presentation.

Gustafson described the Declaration as an urtext of the American story. Although the Constitution and Bill of Rights carry greater legal authority, she said the Declaration continues to have 鈥渞hetorical and sentimental force.鈥� Its language, she explained, has been repeatedly used by Americans to discuss the country鈥檚 ideals, including in Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech and 鈥淟etter from Birmingham Jail.鈥�

Rather than treating the Declaration as an isolated historical document, Gustafson used Tocqueville鈥檚 observations to explore the political culture that existed around it. Tocqueville traveled through the United States in the 1830s and later published 鈥淒emocracy in America,鈥� a detailed study of American democracy and political life.

One of the examples Gustafson highlighted was Tocqueville鈥檚 experience in Albany, New York, on July 4. He witnessed military demonstrations, Revolutionary War veterans being honored, and copies of the Declaration being printed in the street. The celebration concluded with a public reading of the document.

Tocqueville found the experience had 鈥渟omething deeply felt and truly great about it.鈥� For Gustafson, the celebration showed how Americans are able to pass down history and traditions through local communities and organizations rather than relying on institutions

Gustafson compared those formal institutions to the first floor of a house, supported by a basement made up of families, clubs, religion, ethics and other informal institutions.

鈥淭hey provide the dynamism, strength, and support, without which that first floor would not hold.鈥� said Gustafson.

During the question and answer session, Gustafson encouraged students to apply those ideas locally rather than focusing exclusively on national politics.

鈥淕o build something,鈥� Gustafson said. 鈥淕o work with your hands. Go work with other people.鈥�

For Gustafson, civic education is about more than memorizing founding documents. It is about developing a 鈥榩olitical imagination鈥� that connects the words of those documents to the communities, relationships, and traditions that give them meaning.

The Constitution Day program came during a year of national attention on the Declaration鈥檚 250th anniversary. The event was supported by a grant from the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America鈥檚 Founding Principles and History and organized with support from the Department of Political Science and Public Policy.

This summer, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Safia Swimelar teaches New York City: Living in the Global Community using the city as a microcosm to help students understand the diversity and complexity of global humanity. The course explores the meaning of NYC as a global city and how cultural, political and economic aspects of globalization are reflected and visualized there.

鈥淓ven though I teach political science, we鈥檙e talking about the globalization of hip-hop, food, 9/11, identity and culture,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭hey all fit the idea of New York as a global city.鈥�

Students spend Monday through Thursday interning in industries ranging from finance and marketing to communications and graphic design. On Fridays, everyone comes together for weekly seminars, encouraging students to connect their workplace experiences with broader discussions around globalization, identity and culture.

In true Elon fashion, learning extends beyond the classroom. 鈥淲e try to match the academic topic with some kind of hands-on experience, whether that鈥檚 a museum, a tour or meeting people in the community,鈥� Swimelar says. This summer鈥檚 experiential learning opportunities included a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a World Cup watch party, a Juneteenth celebration in Central Park, a performance of 鈥淩agtime鈥� on Broadway, the Pride Parade, a tour of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, an international food tour in Queens and a private tour of the New York Stock Exchange, to name a few.

At its core, the course is about helping students understand the world from a new perspective. 鈥淚 really want them to understand that the United States 鈥� and every city in it 鈥� is inherently connected to the rest of the world,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淭he global is everywhere.鈥�

By the end of the summer, students bring home much more than academic knowledge and internship experience. Living in Brooklyn, navigating the subway and working full-time internships provide a realistic glimpse into life in one of the world鈥檚 largest cities.

鈥淔or many of them, this is the first time they feel like they鈥檙e actually living here instead of just visiting,鈥� Swimelar says. 鈥淲hen I read their journals each week, many are saying, 鈥業 think I really do want to move to New York.鈥欌��

Whether students pursue careers in business, the arts, communications, finance or public policy, Swimelar hopes they leave New York with a deeper appreciation for the people, cultures and ideas that shape communities both locally and globally.

福利亚洲国产精品 the Professor

Professor Safia Swimelar has taught political science and policy studies at Elon since 2008. Her teaching and research focus on international relations, human rights, European politics, global studies and film and politics. As a former Fulbright Scholar, Swimelar draws on her international experience to help students better understand global politics and contemporary issues.

Recommended Materials

• 鈥淭he Colossus of New York,鈥� by Colson Whitehead
• 鈥淗ip hop鈥檚 Enduring Echo: From New York鈥檚 Streets to Global Beats,鈥� The Elephant, 2023
• 鈥淎merica After 9/11,鈥� PBS Frontline documentary

Constitutional Amendment 鈥� Photo ID

Likely voters in the November general election are strongly in favor of changes to the North Carolina Constitution to require a photo ID for all forms of voting, including absentee mail-in ballots. The 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll found that 63% of likely voters favored this constitutional amendment compared with 25% who opposed it and 12% who were unsure. The amendment reads as follows:

Constitutional amendment to require all voters, not just those presenting to vote in person, to present photo identification before voting.

Following an April 2023 ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court, absentee voters must include a photocopy of their photo IDs with their mailed-in ballots or complete an ID Exception Form. This constitutional amendment would lock that requirement into the state鈥檚 constitution so it could not be changed by lawmakers.

Constitutional Amendment 鈥� Income Tax

Likely voters strongly favor changes to the North Carolina Constitution to lower the maximum allowable state personal income tax rate from 7% to 3.5%. In this survey, 67% favored this constitutional amendment, compared with 18% who opposed it and 16% who were unsure. The amendment reads as follows:

Constitutional amendment to keep the State income tax rate from being raised higher than three and one鈥慼alf percent (3.5%).

North Carolina鈥檚 current individual income tax rate is a flat rate of 3.99%, down from 4.25% in 2025. The rate is to 3.49% in 2027 and 2.99% in 2028. This amendment would set a constitutional cap at 3.5% starting in 2027.

Constitutional Amendment 鈥� Property Tax

Likely voters are strongly in favor of changes to the North Carolina Constitution requiring the General Assembly to limit increases in property taxes levied by local governments. In this survey, 72% favored this constitutional amendment, compared with 14% who opposed it and 14% who were unsure. The amendment reads as follows:

Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local governments.

This amendment would not set a specific cap on property tax increases but would require state lawmakers to pass laws that limit how much local governments can increase total property tax revenue from one year to the next. The amendment calls for a 鈥渓evy limit鈥� to cap growth in total dollars collected by a local government, rather than a 鈥渞ate cap,鈥� which would limit the tax rate for property owners. If the amendment passes, the General Assembly would need to enact laws defining the revenue limits and any exceptions.

鈥淔ollowing a long history of most constitutional amendments on the Noth Carolina ballot being approved by voters, the three 2026 amendments all have multiples more 鈥榝or鈥� than 鈥榓gainst,鈥� said Jason Husser, director of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and professor of political science and public policy. 鈥淚n the case of the 2026 amendments, all three lock in current status quo rather than leading to immediate policy change, which decreases their potential for controversy in an election cycle currently focused on the politicians on the ballot.鈥�

North Carolina constitutional amendment process

All three of these questions were put on the ballot by the General Assembly, which has sole power to pose constitutional questions to voters. In this poll, 58% of likely voters favored creating a process for citizens to introduce constitutional amendments, with 15% opposing citizen-initiated amendments and 27% unsure.

鈥淪tate constitutional amendments impact state law and policy in complex ways,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淗owever, ballot language that voters see on election day is often short. Our poll very closely replicated the ballot text that voters will see. If the ballot language differed or provided more detailed summaries for each amendment, we would likely find different results.鈥�

Marijuana laws

North Carolina adults were strongly in favor of legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes and also supported legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in the state. Medical use of the substance was favored by 75% with only 11% in opposition. For recreational use, 55% were in support of legalization compared with 30% who opposed it and 15% who were unsure.

These levels of support for marijuana legalization are mostly unchanged from an 福利亚洲国产精品 poll in January 2021.

There was a significant partisan divide on the legalization questions with Democrats far more likely to support loosening marijuana laws. Eighty-nine percent of Democrats favored legalizing medical marijuana compared with 57% of Republicans. For recreational use of marijuana, 74% of Democrats favored legalization compared with only 33% of Republicans.

Related to hemp-derived products like seltzers and gummies with THC levels that can cause intoxication, 53% supported legalization and 28% said those products should be prohibited, with 19% unsure. Among Democrats, 62% favored legalization of these THC products compared with only 35% of Republicans.

An overwhelming majority of all adults (82%) favored prohibiting the sale of hemp-derived products to anyone under the age of 21.

Husser pointed out that the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll has tracked marijuana attitudes over the last decade in North Carolina. 鈥淲e found a significant increase in support for legalization between 2017 and 2021 as North Carolinians saw legalization occurring in other states,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淥ver the last five years, support for legalization has largely been stable with a large majority supporting medical legalization and a small majority favoring recreational legalization. In turn, support for allowing hemp-based THC has similar levels of support and high correlation with support for recreational marijuana. However, North Carolinians are largely unified in wanting hemp consumables restricted to those 21 or older.鈥�

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:聽. The survey was developed by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between August 21 and August 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 1,121 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for likely voters in this survey is +/- 5.5%, for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) the margin of error is +/-5.05%, and the margin of error for all adults in this survey is +/-5.09%.

Among likely voters (those who said it is 鈥渁bsolutely certain鈥� or 鈥渧ery likely鈥� they will vote), Cooper was favored by 49%, with Whatley favored by 38%. Eight percent were undecided and candidates Shannon Bray (Libertarian) and Michael Dublin (Green) were favored by two percent each.

Among all those who said they were registered to vote, Cooper is favored by 49% and Whatley is favored by 36%, with 14% saying they were undecided or planned to vote for someone else and 2% saying they do not plan to vote.

The survey of 800 North Carolina adults was conducted August 21-31, 2026, and has a margin of error for likely voters of 5.6%.

Seventy-two percent of poll respondents said they are registered to vote in the state, with 63% of those registered voters saying it is absolutely certain they will vote in November and another 20% saying it is very likely they will vote.

In this survey, 71% of registered voters said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� or 鈥渟ome鈥� about Cooper, who was North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025 and previously served 16 years as the state鈥檚 attorney general. In comparison, 47% said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� or 鈥渟ome鈥� about Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party.

Fifteen percent said they had heard nothing at all about Whatley compared with only 4% who had heard nothing at all about Cooper.

Regardless of who they personally plan to vote for, 54% of registered voters predicted that Cooper will win the race, compared with 29% who predicted that Whatley will win.

鈥淒espite an increase in advertising, we measured relatively little movement over the last month in voter intentions about the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, with Democratic candidate Roy Cooper maintaining a strong lead over Republican Michael Whatley,鈥� said Jason Husser, director of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and a professor of political science and public policy. 鈥淭he race continues to appear competitive among the group of voters who are highly familiar with Whatley. However, the size of that group remains relatively small and slowly growing.

“Now that we have passed Labor Day, campaigning will approach full velocity, offering some final opportunity for Whatley to increase familiarity and narrow Cooper鈥檚 lead in the race.鈥�

Questions about the voting process

福利亚洲国产精品 half (51%) of registered voters said they plan to cast their votes in person during the early voting period that runs October 15-31. Thirty-five percent plan to vote in person at the polls on November 3 and only about 8% plan to cast their votes by mail.

Under state law, county election boards began distributing absentee ballots to those who had requested them on September 4.

found that 40 other states had higher vote-by-mail numbers than North Carolina in 2022, when only 5 percent of ballots in the state were cast by mail. Nationwide, about one in three Americans cast their votes by mail in the 2024 general election.

In August, President Trump issued an executive order that would give the U.S. Postal Service control over the issuance of mail-in ballots in this year鈥檚 election. Following court decisions blocking that action, the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the case, threatening to create serious questions about the voting process just weeks before the election.

鈥淲e find a substantial majority of registered voters in North Carolina to be satisfied with the status quo on length of early voting,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淭hough Democrats reported somewhat higher rates than Republicans of planning to vote early in the upcoming election, only a small minority of voters in either political party told us early voting is too long.鈥�

In August, Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly to reduce the number of early voting days for primary elections in the state. In this survey, 56% of poll respondents said the length of the early voting period in statewide elections is about right, with 11% saying early voting is too short, 11% saying early voting is too long and 22% unsure.

Issues on voters鈥� minds

Among registered voters, 51% said they were extremely or very excited to cast their ballots and 83% said this year鈥檚 election was extremely or somewhat important for real-world outcomes in their lives.

Pocketbook issues were at the top of registered voters鈥� minds as they make their voting decisions. Eighty-six percent said inflation and the cost of living are 鈥渧ery important鈥� issues, with 73% saying the general economy and healthcare are 鈥渧ery important.鈥�

Other 鈥渧ery important鈥� issues included taxes (66%), Social Security (64%), personal character of candidates (60%), immigration (54%), the war in Iran (50%) and the environment (43%).

Grading the health of the nation鈥檚 economy, 49% of registered voters gave grades of 鈥淒鈥� and 鈥淔鈥�, with 30% assigning a 鈥淐鈥� grade and only 22% giving 鈥淎鈥� or 鈥淏鈥� grades.

Related to the war with Iran, 52% of registered voters opposed the U.S. military involvement compared with 31% who supported it. 福利亚洲国产精品 40% said a year from now America will be less safe as a result of U.S. military actions in Iran, with 30% saying America will be more safe.

鈥淰oters are placing very high emphasis on the economy, especially the cost of living, and voters are overwhelming thinking the economy is not good,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淭his is driving a great deal of attitudes towards both President Trump and Congressional candidates of his party. While much of the national political focus over the next two months will be on the performance of individual candidates and their campaigns, many political outcomes will be influenced at least as much by the ongoing performance of the economy.鈥�

Approval ratings

This survey gathered new data on approval ratings for President Donald Trump and N.C. Gov. Josh Stein.

Among all poll respondents, 54% disapproved of the job Trump is doing as president and 31% approved. While Trump鈥檚 disapproval numbers in North Carolina have stayed roughly the same during 2026, his approval rating in this survey was the lowest recorded by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll since Trump took office in January 2025.

Stein had a 40% approval rating, a drop of 6% from the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll conducted at the end of July. Stein鈥檚 disapproval numbers stayed steady at 25%.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:聽www.elon.edu/elonpoll. The survey was developed by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between August 21 and August 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 1,121 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for likely voters in this survey is +/- 5.6%, for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) the margin of error is +/-5.05%, and the margin of error for all adults in this survey is +/-5.09%.

福利亚洲国产精品 the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll

Established in 2000, the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of citizens鈥� opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by 福利亚洲国产精品 and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll is a charter member of the聽, a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The Elon Poll鈥檚 voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.

福利亚洲国产精品 Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Baris Kesgin provided analysis for a recent international news article in examining the growing rivalry between Israel and Turkey as both countries seek to expand their military and diplomatic influence across the Middle East.

鈥淭his rivalry is one that emerged, possibly, after the Arab Spring and intensified in recent months following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the ongoing conflict surrounding the Persian Gulf,鈥� Kesgin said.

Kesgin, an expert on Turkish and Israeli foreign policy and political leadership, said the relationship has evolved beyond diplomatic disagreements.

鈥淎t this moment, each side perceives the other as a security threat rather than a difficult partner,鈥� he said.

Kesgin identified Syria as a particularly important potential flashpoint, pointing to recent Israeli military action at a Syrian air base where a possible Turkish deployment had raised concerns.

鈥淭he magic of Elon College lies in the people who teach our students,鈥� said Hilton Kelly, Dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淥ur new faculty members embody a commitment to the liberal arts. They are curious, inspiring and interdisciplinary thinkers. We are delighted to welcome them to our community.鈥�

New Professors for 2026-27 in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences

• Jackson Cooper, assistant professor of arts administration, earned an MFA from Seattle University. He will teach Arts Administration and Community, Legal Aspects of Art and Entertainment and COR 1100: The Global Experience.
• Joseph Frey, assistant teaching professor of human service studies, earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He will teach Social Policy and Inequality and The Art and Science of Human Service Studies.
• Rachel Johnson, assistant professor of biochemistry, earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She will teach General Chemistry and Biochemistry.聽She will join in the Winter Term to teach General Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Ariana Montoya-Lozano, assistant professor of political science and public policy and environmental studies, earned a PhD from Purdue University. She will teach Introduction to Environmental Science 1150 and Environmental Policy 3230.
• Aditi Vyas, assistant professor of biology, earned a PhD from Ohio University. She will teach Cell Biology and Genetics.
• Danny Frye, interim director of bands, earned a DMA from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences provides the foundation for the study of the liberal arts and sciences at 福利亚洲国产精品. The college is comprised of 19 departments across three branches: the arts and humanities; natural, mathematical and computational sciences; and social and behavioral sciences. It hosts Elon鈥檚 chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation鈥檚 oldest honor society celebrating excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

Committed to the growth of students鈥� intellectual curiosity, intercultural competence and critical thinking, the college champions disciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary applications to reflect upon, respond to and offer solutions to complex problems in an interconnected and changing world.

With more than 45 majors and 65 minors, the college is 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 largest academic division. Two-thirds of the nearly 1,600 students who graduate from Elon annually do so with at least one major or minor in the college. Within a year, over 90% of college graduates report employment in their chosen field or enrollment in top post-graduate programs.

College faculty are prolific and preeminent scholars and creators in their fields, recognized for expertise at national and international levels. Each year, its more than 300 full-time faculty publish hundreds of articles, chapters, and books, and they present at scores of conferences and events. Their scholarship results in grants and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Institutes of Health and other prominent centers of research.

The 2026 North Carolina Political Landscape Report finds that the identities most widely embraced across the state are rooted in work, community, place and shared civic values鈥攏ot political movements or ideological labels. By examining how North Carolinians identify themselves across 30 political, economic, cultural and lifestyle identities, the report paints a more nuanced portrait of the state’s electorate than traditional measures of party affiliation alone.

鈥淲inning coalitions of voters are often built by group attachments beyond party labels alone,鈥� said Jason Husser, director of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and professor of political science and public policy. 鈥淥utcomes in North Carolina elections are driven not only by whether the state has more Democrats or more Republicans, but also whether politicians can move those who identify with groups like working class, progressives or Second Amendment advocates. We measured the scope of some of the largest politically relevant group identities in North Carolina to offer insight into why some ideas stick in the state and others struggle.鈥�

The broad middle is larger than the ideological edges.

Across the state, the identities most commonly selected are remarkably broad. More than three-quarters of respondents identify as working class (77%), while nearly as many identify as anti-racist (74%) and proud North Carolinian (74%). Majorities also identify as middle class (68%), religious (58%), Second Amendment advocates (58%), country people (56%), Constitutionalists (52%), environmentalists (51%) and beach people (51%).

By comparison, identities associated with ideological movements or political brands are embraced by substantially fewer North Carolinians. Only about one-third identify with MAGA (34%) or democratic socialism (29%), while even fewer identify as libertarian (20%), politically homeless (26%), anti-establishment (32%) or prepper (19%).

Taken together, the findings suggest that the political identities receiving the greatest public attention represent a smaller share of the electorate than the broader identities that unite many North Carolinians.

Republicans, Democrats and Independents have much in common

The report identifies substantial overlap among the state’s partisan groups.

Three of the top identities for Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike are working class, proud North Carolinian, and anti-racist. Middle-class identity also ranks among the most common across all three groups. These shared identities appear despite well-publicized partisan disagreements and suggest a broader common foundation than political discourse often reflects.

An anti-racist identity ranks among the ten most common choices for Republicans (66%), Independents (75%) and Democrats (80%). Likewise, large majorities across party lines identify as working class and as proud North Carolinians.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to fall into stereotypical thinking about Democrats and Republicans as monolithic and totally distinct from one another. However, we find enough overlap of group identities within North Carolina that suggest people with different political preferences often share many of the same ways of understanding themselves,鈥� Husser said.

Similarly, the way voters in different parties describe themselves also offers potential for common ground. For example, while Democrats are much more likely to consider themselves 鈥渆nvironmentalists鈥� than Republicans (64% to 39%), the related label 鈥渃onservationist鈥� was chosen by 48% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans.

It鈥檚 easy to fall into stereotypical thinking about Democrats and Republicans as monolithic and totally distinct from one another.

– Professor Jason Husser, director of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll

The differences remain meaningful

Where Republicans and Democrats diverge is in the identities associated with organized political movements and cultural priorities.

Republicans are substantially more likely to identify as Second Amendment advocates, religious, MAGA, Constitutionalists, country people, and MAHA supporters. Democrats are more likely to identify as progressives, social justice advocates, feminists, environmentalists, LGBTQ rights advocates, and democratic socialists.

Independents present a different profile. Their most common identities emphasize community and lifestyle rather than partisan ideology, including working class, anti-racist, proud North Carolinian, middle class, Second Amendment advocate, religious, environmentalist and conservationist. Unlike Republicans and Democrats, no overt political movement appears among Independents’ ten most common identities.

Views of government are similarly nuanced

The report finds that North Carolinians resist simple ideological categorization. While six in ten favor a larger government providing more services and 57% support providing more assistance to people in need even if it means higher taxes, only 17% say they trust the federal government to do what is right most or all of the time. At the same time, two-thirds believe the American economic system favors a select few rather than being generally fair.

The report is based on an online survey of 800 North Carolina adults created by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and fielded by YouGov between July 23 and July 31, 2026. The survey has a margin of error of 卤4.24%. The full report, topline results and methodology are available at elon.edu/elonpoll.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:聽www.elon.edu/elonpoll. The survey was developed by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between July 23 and July 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 861 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) is +/-4.42%.

福利亚洲国产精品 the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll

Established in 2000, the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of citizens鈥� opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by 福利亚洲国产精品 and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll is a charter member of the聽, a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The Elon Poll鈥檚 voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.

Among all those who said they were registered to vote, Cooper is favored by 51% and Whatley is favored by 35%, with 11 percent saying they were undecided or planned to vote for someone else and 3% saying they do not plan to vote.

The survey of 800 North Carolina adults was conducted from July 23-31, 2026, and has a margin of error for likely voters of 5.6%. Ninety-eight percent of poll respondents said they are registered to vote in the state. This is the first 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll to ask voters who they plan to vote for in this year鈥檚 U.S. Senate race. A previous Elon poll in March 2026 found that Cooper had much stronger familiarity and favorability ratings, compared with Whatley, who has never run for office in the state.

In this new poll, 84% of registered voters said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� (55%) or 鈥渟ome鈥� (29%) about Cooper, who was North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025 and previously served 16 years as the state鈥檚 attorney general. In comparison, 53% said they had heard 鈥渁 great deal鈥� (17%) or 鈥渟ome鈥� (36%) about Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party. Twenty percent said they had heard nothing at all about Whatley compared with only 5% who had heard nothing at all about Cooper.

鈥淭he North Carolina U.S. Senate race has been shaped from the beginning as a contest between a very well-known Democrat and a relatively unknown Republican,鈥� said Jason Husser, director of the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll. 鈥淲hile Roy Cooper continues to be much more familiar to voters than Michael Whatley, Whatley鈥檚 familiarity among voters has increased meaningfully between March and July. Moreover, among the roughly half of voters who have heard a great deal or some about Whatley, the race becomes very close. This leads me to expect some tightening in polls over the next two months.

Fifty-three percent of registered voters expressed favorable views of Cooper, compared with 36% who had favorable opinions of Whatley.

Cooper is favored by 93% of Democrats. Whatley is preferred by 84% of Republicans. Independents split 49% for Cooper and 22% for Whatley. Third party candidates Shannon Bray (Libertarian) and Michael Dublin (Green) had 1% and 2% support overall, respectively.

Strong interest in the election

Sixty-three percent of registered voters said it is 鈥渁bsolutely certain鈥� they will vote in November and another 20% said it is 鈥渧ery likely鈥� they will cast a ballot.

Despite questions being raised about election integrity and potential foreign interference in U.S. elections, 63% of registered voters said they were 鈥渧ery confident鈥� (27%) or 鈥渟omewhat confident鈥� (36%) that the election process overall will be fair. Twenty-nine percent said they had little or no confidence in there being a fair election process.

Asked how big of a problem voter fraud is in the United States, 37% of registered voters said it is a major problem, with 30% saying voter fraud is a minor problem. Twenty-four percent said it is not a problem at all and 9% said they are unsure.

Registered voters are split on the threat of foreign interference in U.S. elections, with 39% saying it is a major problem, 35% saying it is minor problem and 10% saying it is not a problem at all, with 17% unsure.

Asked specifically about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, 55% said Joe Biden was the winner, while 33% maintained Donald Trump won that election and 12% were unsure.

鈥淲hile a majority of North Carolina voters overall in our sample believe that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, views of the election are highly polarized,鈥� Husser said. 鈥淣early three-fourths of North Carolina voters who approved of President Trump expressed that Trump actually won the 2020 election.鈥�

Approval ratings and the data center policy issue

President Trump continues to have low approval ratings among North Carolinians, with 54% of poll respondents disapproving of the job he is doing as president and 36% approving 鈥� an 18% gap. Ten percent were unsure about the president鈥檚 job performance. In comparison, in the March 2026 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll, Trump had a 55% disapproval rating and a 35% approval rating 鈥� a 20% gap.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has a 46% job approval rating in this poll, compared with a 43% approval rating last March.

Opposition has grown against technology data centers in the state. Fifty-three percent said they oppose locating data centers in their communities and 20% support data centers, with 27% unsure. In the poll last March, 44% opposed data centers in their communities and 24% supported data centers, with 32% unsure.

鈥淎s local governments in North Carolina have grappled with land use regulations and economic development questions regarding data centers over the last five months, we found that data centers have become more unpopular across major political and demographic divides,鈥� Husser said.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at:聽. The survey was developed by the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between July 23 and July 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 861 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) is +/-4.42%.

福利亚洲国产精品 the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll

Established in 2000, the 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of residents’ opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by 福利亚洲国产精品 and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The 福利亚洲国产精品 Poll is a charter member of the聽, a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The Elon Poll鈥檚 voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.

福利亚洲国产精品 Professor of Political Science and Public Policy聽Jason Husser provided analysis for a recent ABC 11 report examining the growing amount of money flowing into midterm races this season.

Husser noted that with the recent death of North Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham, it puts South Carolina Republicans in a new spot.

“The Republicans now are going to need to run a non-incumbent in South Carolina means they may have to spend a couple million dollars that they would not have otherwise spent there,” said Husser.

But he also noted that spending and competitiveness in other Senate races could have an impact on the Senate race in North Carolina between聽former Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican nominee Michael Whatley.

“The money’s not totally going away, but right now, I don’t know that we’re seeing the same level of sort of demand to spend the dollars in North Carolina over Georgia or Maine or Alaska or Texas and some other places,” said Husser.

福利亚洲国产精品 Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Jason Husser provided analysis for a recent examining how two U.S. Supreme Court decisions could affect North Carolina elections and high school athletics. The story explored the potential implications of rulings involving mail-in ballots and transgender athletes, highlighting how federal court decisions often shape state policy debates.

Husser, director of the Elon Poll, discussed the election-related ruling and what it means for North Carolina voters and election officials.

“It doesn’t really impact North Carolina right now,” Husser said. “North Carolina has already limited the grace period (for mail-in ballots). There’s still a grace period in North Carolina for overseas and military voters, but the state also has rules to get those in as close to the election as possible.”

He explained that while the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision may not immediately change voting procedures in the state, it reaffirms that North Carolina has the power to set its own election rules.

The report also examined the Court鈥檚 decision allowing states to restrict participation by transgender athletes in girls鈥� and women鈥檚 sports.

“The Supreme Court essentially protected North Carolina’s law that distinguishes and sets regulations about transgender athletes,” he said. “This means we’re not going to see immediate change to what’s in place in North Carolina. There was a possibility the court was going to rule in favor, that would have forced North Carolina and other states to change.”