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.

鈥淎 Changing Landscape: Immigration Law in the 21st Century鈥� will bring attorneys and scholars to 福利亚洲国产精品 School of Law in downtown Greensboro on Friday, Sept. 25, to examine the complexities of the nation鈥檚 laws and policies.

The symposium will explore how questions surrounding borders, power and the rule of law intersect with contemporary legal challenges. Speakers will address asylum, policy changes, family immigration law, as well as employment and humanitarian issues at the day-long event.

A Changing Landscape: Immigration Law in the 21st Century

Friday, Sept. 25, 2026

9 a.m. 鈥� 4 p.m.

福利亚洲国产精品 School of Law

201 N. Greene St.

Greensboro, NC 27401

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Please register early to reserve a spot.

Keynote Address

鈥淭he Complexities of Immigration Policy鈥�

, founder of New Frontier Immigration Law and TEDx speaker

Panel Discussions

Seeking Asylum 鈥� Hands-On Immigration Law

• Dara Arroyo-Longoria L鈥�22, attorney at McKinney Immigration Law
• Heather Scavone, assistant professor of law and former associate counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

American Immigration

• Jordin Dickerson, assistant professor of political science and public administration at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke
• Tolulope Folokun, assistant professor of law at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
• Allen Orr Jr., founder and principal attorney of Orr Immigration Law Firm

The Family Immigration Landscape

• Kailey Houck, judicial law clerk for Justice Melissa Hart and Justice Susan Blanco of the Colorado Supreme Court
• Maria Rosales, executive director of FaithAction International

In addition to the keynote address and panel discussions, the symposium will feature remarks from Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer; Chief Symposium Editor Rose Peterson L鈥�26; Co-Symposium Editors Abigail MacKnight L鈥�26 and Lauren Collins L鈥�26; and Elon Law Review Editor-in-Chief Rachel Claffee L鈥�26.

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon Law Review

The Elon Law Review is a student-edited legal journal that publishes scholarship examining emerging issues and developments in the law. Through its scholarship and annual symposium, the Law Review fosters legal dialogue among scholars, attorneys, judges and students while contributing to the study and practice of law.

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon Law

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time Residency-in-Practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school鈥檚 distinctive curriculum offers a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, providing exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since its establishment in downtown Greensboro in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 600 students, and the law school is regularly featured in the top tier of preLaw Magazine鈥檚 鈥淏est Schools for Practical Training鈥� rankings.

Elon Law offers full-time legal education in Greensboro and a part-time, in-person Flex Program in Charlotte. In 2026, the American Bar Association approved Elon Law to expand its signature 2.5-year J.D. program to Charlotte.

Beginning in Fall 2027, students in Charlotte鈥檚 full-time and Flex programs will attend classes on the Queens University of Charlotte campus in Myers Park. Elon Law will continue to offer its full-time 2.5-year J.D. program at its downtown Greensboro campus.

A regional rail replacement project managed by Norfolk Southern has started at a slower pace than anticipated. Crews will resume work in Mebane in eastern Alamance County beginning Monday, August 31, moving westward at 1-3 miles per day.

At this time, there is no estimated date for crossing closures in the Town of Elon. 福利亚洲国产精品 will communicate updates to students, faculty, staff and others as Norfolk Southern crews make their way closer to the university in the first part of September.

**

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCMENT:

Railroad crossings in the Town of Elon will fully close to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for at least two days in early September as work crews make their way west from Mebane to Greensboro as part of a comprehensive rail replacement project.

The tentative closure dates, subject to change based on weather and work conditions, are Sept. 1-3, 2026. Grade crossings near the Elon campus include those on (from east to west):

• Gilliam Road
• York Road
• Oak Avenue
• Williamson Avenue
• Church Street

During the closures, no vehicle or foot traffic will be permitted at crossings. Drivers should use available detours, follow posted signs and allow extra travel time.

Anyone walking to or from South Campus must use the pedestrian tunnel underneath the railroad on East Trollinger and East Lebanon avenues. Students, employees, and other visitors to the Elon campus should give themselves extra travel time.

Though crossings will be closed, rail traffic will operate on adjusted schedules. Norfolk Southern is moving much of its freight service to night deliveries during this period and passenger service is also continuing in the evening and early-morning hours, which makes it more difficult to gauge distance and speed of oncoming trains.聽

福利亚洲国产精品 Campus Safety & Police will maintain a presence on both sides of the railroad tracks during the rail replacement project and partner with the Town of Elon Police to ensure adequate resources available to respond appropriately to any calls for service.

The Cook Road/University Drive overpass west of Elon is the nearest railroad overpass that will offer access to both sides of town. To the east, West Webb Avenue passes underneath the tracks and offers another vehicular route between both ends of campus.

The rail replacement project is part of a larger Carolinian and Piedmont Passenger and Freight Improvements project stretching from Greensboro to Raleigh. The rail lines that pass through the Town of Elon were last replaced in the 1970s.

The Princeton Review has again featured 福利亚洲国产精品 in a popular college guide that annually recognizes excellence in dozens of categories, with the university placing among the top 25 schools in 15 categories and in the top 10 of eight categories, including #1 Best College Theater.

Elon鈥檚 profile in 鈥溾�澛爄ncludes more than a dozen recognitions:

• #1 Best College Theater
• #4 Best Classroom Experience
• #6 Best Student Support and Counseling Services
• #6 Best College Dorms
• #8 Happiest Students
• #9 Most Beautiful Campus
• #9 Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
• #10 Their Students Love These Colleges
• #11 Best Campus Food
• #12 Best Career Services
• #12 Best-Run Colleges
• #18 Most Active Student Government
• #23 Professors Get High Marks
• #24 Best Quality of Life
• #25 Green Matters: Everyone Cares 福利亚洲国产精品 Conservation

The Princeton Review chose the 392 colleges for the book based on its surveys in 2025-26 of 2,000 college administrators about their school’s academic offerings. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges in the book who rated their schools on dozens of topics and reported on their campus experiences at them. Only about 14% of America鈥檚 nearly 2,800 four-year colleges are in the book.

“We are delighted to name Elon one of our Best Colleges for 2027, and we recommend it to students searching for their 鈥榖est-fit鈥� college,鈥� said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 392 Colleges.聽 “Elon has outstanding academic programs; we also took into account the candid feedback we received about it from its very own customers鈥攊ts enrolled students.”

The rankings are entirely based on the company’s surveys of students attending the schools in the book who reported on their campus experiences at their schools. Surveys of 172,000 students (about 439 per school on average) were tallied for the rankings in The Best 392 Colleges.

Information on the for the rankings and the student is published in the book and on .

Select Responses Cited in 鈥淭he Best 391 Colleges鈥�

• Elon provides “meaningful access to professors, research opportunities, internships, and leadership roles early鈥hich allows (students) to explore their interests in practical, hands-on ways.鈥�
• 鈥淓veryone from the most esteemed professors to our incredible dining hall workers, to the student life staff, to our groundskeepers鈥澛爄s described as 鈥渢he most incredible support system.鈥�
• Faculty are “highly experienced and enthusiastic” who do “constant check-ups and meetings with you. They want to make sure that you鈥檙e not only succeeding in their class, but also having an amazing, enriching time in college.鈥�
• Students praised the small class sizes, which allow for bonding聽鈥渨ith both my professors and my peers, and it gives me more opportunities for success.鈥�
• Elon’s experiential learning model provides an opportunity “where students can use both classroom learning and real-world experience to understand the information being taught.鈥�
• Students highlighted the university’s “strong culture of involvement” where “students are constantly balancing academics with leadership roles, service organizations, research, athletics, and creative projects, and that energy creates an environment where it feels normal to want to do big things.鈥�

福利亚洲国产精品 the Princeton Review

The Princeton Review (), founded in 1981, is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep, admission services, school rankings, books, and other resources. Headquartered in New York, NY, it is not affiliated with Princeton University, and it is not a magazine.

The Best 392 Colleges is the 35th annual edition of The Princeton Review’s flagship college guide which debuted in 1992. It is one of more than 150 Princeton Review books in a published by Penguin Random House. The book and its annual student-survey-based college rankings have been featured on NBC TODAY more than two dozen times over the years and referenced by media from NPR to The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

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.

Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather III delivered the Call to Honor, challenging students to consider not only what they hope to accomplish as lawyers, but whom their work will ultimately serve.

鈥淭he lawyer, and the law student, who demonstrates fidelity to the field is always in the fight because they are thinking of what someone else needs from them 鈥� fighting for someone else鈥檚 interest as if it were their own,鈥� Merriweather said during ceremonies held Mon., Aug. 10, at 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 Charlotte Center at 330 W. Tremont Ave. in Charlotte鈥檚 South End neighborhood.

Merriweather leads the district attorney鈥檚 office for North Carolina鈥檚 26th Prosecutorial District, the state鈥檚 largest. His connection to Elon Law is also personal: his wife, Lila Riley L鈥�10, is a member of the law school鈥檚 second graduating class.

Describing law as a vocation rooted in serving others, Merriweather reflected on experiences that shaped his own path, from witnessing lawyers pursue justice following a racially motivated killing in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to working with a grieving father as a first-year law student interning in the Mecklenburg County District Attorney鈥檚 Office.

鈥淭hose who are fulfilled in this practice believe that it is something that we are called to do,鈥� Merriweather said. 鈥淚f you truly commit to pursuit of this practice, you do so because you believe that you have a charge to keep: to speak up for someone, and to tell someone鈥檚 story with full impact.鈥�

Merriweather urged students to:

• Be ambitious, curious, studious and sharp, while never losing sight of the people the law is meant to serve.
• Build a reputation for integrity. 聽Future clients and colleagues must be able to rely on a lawyer鈥檚 word, competence and credibility.
• Find your own sense of purpose in the law. When the work becomes difficult, Merriweather encouraged students to return to a simple question: 鈥淲hat are you here to do?鈥�

The Flex Program allows students to earn a law degree through a part-time, in-person course of study designed for working professionals and place-bound students in the Charlotte region.

Flex Program Student Bar Association President Raygan Angel LF鈥�28, a member of the program鈥檚 inaugural cohort, encouraged new students to build a supportive community rather than view classmates as competitors.

鈥淭he relationships you grow here will matter just as much as the cases you鈥檙e going to have to study,鈥� Angel said. 鈥淪o introduce yourself, form the study group, share an outline and celebrate each other鈥檚 wins instead of measuring yourself against them. The legal profession needs more lawyers who compete with integrity and lead with generosity.鈥�

Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief opened the ceremony by recognizing the commitment required of Flex Program students, many of whom will balance full-time careers and other responsibilities with law school. He told the third cohort that faculty and staff 鈥渕arvel at鈥� and respect the work they have done to organize their lives around pursuing a legal education.

The ceremony concluded with an Elon tradition connecting the newest law students to the university鈥檚 name and history. 鈥淓lon鈥� is the Hebrew word for oak. The university has long used the growth of an acorn into an oak tree as a symbol of education, transformation and individual potential.

Woodlief presented each student with an acorn as they crossed the front of the room, where Dean and Professor of Law Zak Kramer greeted them and shook their hands. The students will receive oak saplings at Commencement.

Kramer closed the ceremony by reflecting on the significance of the third Flex Program cohort and the community that has grown around the program. He also echoed Merriweather鈥檚 message about finding a calling in the law, urging students to lean into the law school experience and promising that Elon Law would take seriously their ambitions and dreams.

鈥淵our calling is what brought you here, and our charge, as we see it, is to make sure that you can answer that call, whatever that call is,鈥� Kramer said. 鈥淭he call is up to you. We will follow it, and we will do everything we can to support you and launch you into your career.鈥�

福利亚洲国产精品 Elon Law

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time Residency-in-Practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school鈥檚 distinctive curriculum offers a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since opening its doors in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students and the law school is regularly featured in the top tier of preLaw Magazine鈥檚 鈥淏est Schools for Practical Training鈥� rankings. In 2026, Elon Law received ABA approval to launch a full-time 2.5-year J.D. program on the campus of Queens University of Charlotte beginning in Fall 2027. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study for place-bound students at 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 Charlotte campus, welcomed its third cohort in Fall 2026.

A recent graduate of Queens University of Charlotte has been elected to serve as a youth trustee for 福利亚洲国产精品, bringing to the role his record of student leadership on campus with a commitment to service across the community.

will serve a three-year term as聽Youth Trustee, joining Elizabeth 鈥淟iz鈥� Kwon L鈥�23 and Rafi Dahdal 鈥�24 G鈥�24聽in youth leadership roles for the university鈥檚 governing body.

The Board of Trustees聽has ultimate corporate and fiduciary responsibility for 福利亚洲国产精品. It oversees Elon鈥檚 long-term health and strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and overall advancement of the university鈥檚 mission.

As a Presidential Fellow in the Office of the President at Queens, Omari supported executive leadership through institutional research, governance analysis for the Board of Trustees, strategic benchmarking of peer institutions, coordinated executive-level events, and board communications.

Omari, who described his youth trustee appointment as 鈥渢ruly an honor,鈥� also served as senior class president, a four-term international representative in the Student Government Association, president of the iBelong Mentoring Program and co-president of the Health Equity Alliance.

Additional leadership roles include service on the Student Alumni Council, the Data Analytics Student Association executive board and as an admissions ambassador. In recognition of his achievements, , the most prestigious undergraduate award bestowed at Queens.

Originally from Accra, Ghana, Omari attended Ghana National College before coming to the United States in 2021 through the AFS Intercultural YES exchange program and spending a year at Charlotte Country Day School. He later enrolled at Queens University of Charlotte as an international student and Presidential Scholar, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in data analytics and minors in finance and mathematics. He begins working in September as an AI & Data Associate Consultant with Ernst & Young in New York City.”

With experience spanning data, artificial intelligence, institutional governance and student leadership, Omari said he looks forward to joining the 福利亚洲国产精品 Board of Trustees as a youth trustee and contributing his recent student perspective informed by academic achievement, public service and cross-campus leadership.

鈥淢y role as a youth trustee presents an opportunity to help shape a historic moment for both institutions,鈥� Omari said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to contribute a recent student perspective to conversations about how the traditions of both institutions might be honored while creating a stronger future together.鈥�

福利亚洲国产精品 福利亚洲国产精品

福利亚洲国产精品 is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.

At Elon, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 80 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. Elon is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

Elon鈥檚 academic divisions include Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2025, 福利亚洲国产精品 and Queens University of Charlotte announced plans to merge, pending final approval from SACSCOC and the U.S. Department of Education by 2028.

As they helped parents prepare legal documents designed to ensure their children would continue receiving care and education if the unexpected happened, students found themselves doing something equally important: listening to families navigating uncertainty and providing greater peace of mind.

Organized by Elon Law’s Pro Bono Board in partnership with 鈥� an agency that advocates for and serves immigrants in the Triad 鈥� the May 2025 clinic responded to concerns from families who wanted to prepare for the possibility of sudden family separation. Under the supervision of licensed attorneys 鈥� including an Elon Law alumna and a faculty member 鈥� students assisted parents in completing powers of attorney that would allow trusted caregivers to make educational and medical decisions for their children if needed.

“It was something concrete we could actually do,” recalled Molly Hohler L’26, who helped organize the clinic through the Pro Bono Board.

Families spoke candidly about their fears as they contemplated possible detention or deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Working alongside fellow board leaders Frank Edwards L’25, Adnan Omer L’25, Saniya Pangare L’25 and Cameron Riordan L’25, Hohler organized the clinic with FaithAction International, Professor of Law Andy Haile and attorney Abigail Seymour L’17. Together, they identified a way to use their legal training to meet a community need and serve real clients.

More than a year later, that student-led effort earned statewide recognition. during the association’s Annual Meeting this summer, recognizing an “outstanding law student group whose pro bono project advanced access to justice in North Carolina.

鈥淵ou have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”
鈥� Adnan Omer L’25

The idea grew from conversations with FaithAction International, which identified an urgent community need and contacted the Pro Bono Board. Immigration legal advice was beyond the scope of what students could provide, but powers of attorney offered a meaningful way to serve clients under attorney supervision.

For Adnan Omer L’25 and others, the clinic quickly became much more than a legal exercise.

“People come to you on one of the hardest days of their lives,鈥� said Omer, now an associate attorney with Vrapi Weeks Immigration Attorneys in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 鈥淵ou have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”

Seymour L’17, who founded Greensboro-based Camino Law in 2019, was the supervising attorney for the clinic. As a former Pro Bono Board member herself, she understood the value of the experience for students. Throughout the day, she observed, interpreted and worked alongside them during client meetings in the one-day clinic.

“The main purpose of this clinic was to give people a sense of control and preparation,” Seymour said. “Peace of mind to know that if the worst were to happen, they would have a plan.” Elon Law students 鈥渨ere wonderful and jumped right in. They didn’t hang back.鈥�

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves. In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”
鈥� Professor of Law Andy Haile

In recommending the clinic for the statewide award, Seymour praised the students’ “extraordinary professionalism, leadership and compassion,” writing to the NCBA that they approached the work “not as an academic exercise, but as a professional responsibility.” The project exemplified “the highest ideals of pro bono service in North Carolina,鈥� she wrote.

Haile, who also supervised students during the clinic, said the experience demonstrated why experiential learning is critical for legal preparation. Some skills can鈥檛 be learned in a classroom.

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves,” Haile said. “In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”

For Pangare, whose family immigrated to the United States, the project carried special meaning.

“It was an opportunity to help people feel more secure in their homes, their surroundings and their communities,” said Pangare 鈥� now an associate attorney at Hall Booth Smith P.C. in Asheville, North Carolina. “We wanted to help a community we knew felt vulnerable and let them know we were there to support them.”

“We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”
鈥� Molly Hohler L’26

She joined Hohler and Shannon Ward L鈥�26, current Pro Bono Board co-director, in accepting the award on behalf of Elon Law during the NCBA Annual Meeting on June 26.

Hohler said that public service has been a throughline in both her personal and professional life. Serving on the Pro Bono Board gives her an opportunity to channel that instinct alongside classmates who share a commitment to service.

“I love working with clients. It gives me new energy,” Hohler said. “We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”