Is The North Carolina Primary Winner Take All?

The third incarnate of Super Tuesday is set to take place on March 15. What that means is that states like Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina and many more will have the opportunity to have their voices heard as voters take to the polls to pick a presidential nominee for their respective party. This year marks an important change to the North Carolina primary. The event was moved from far later in the year in May to its prime Super Tuesday 3 position. Additionally, more delegates have been awarded on the GOP side based off the Tar Heel State's stellar voter turnout record in which copious Republicans have been elected to serve the state. With 72 Republican delegates up for grabs and a total of 121 delegates available for the Democrats, many voters are wondering whether the North Carolina Primary is winner take all?

Though the date of the primary may have changed, both of North Carolina's primaries are proportional. What that means is that delegates are awarded based off of overall voting percentages. This comes as little surprise to those on the left. All primaries and caucuses are proportional affairs for Democratic candidates. It's because of this system that the many narrow primary and caucus victories this election season have pushed the Democratic party in interesting directions as the race to secure a nominee continues to remain unclear. Bernie Sanders' surprise win in Michigan stands as a prime example of the unpredictability of the events leading up to the Democratic National Convention.

What's truly interesting about the North Carolina Primary is the fact that so many voters remain unaffiliated. The primary is an open event, thus anyone who is a registered voter but has not chosen a political party can participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary but not both. According to state voting records, over 25 percent of registered North Carolina voters side with neither party. According to a WRAL poll released prior to the event, it appears as if frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will handily win the Tar Heel State.

Of course, anything can happen on Super Tuesday 3. Both the Democrats and Republicans had high profile debates in Miami mere days before the event. Their performances may very well change which candidates voters gravitate towards. As North Carolina has positioned itself to have more of a say in the pick for presidential nominee, voters are similarly looking to make an impact when they hit the polls on Tuesday.