The statewide survey also finds strong bipartisan agreement among voters that courts should guard against discrimination in how electoral districts are drawn

RALEIGH – Candidates for judge in North Carolina appear on the ballot with party labels next to their names. But voters don’t want partisan politics to overrule the Constitution in deciding court cases, according to a statewide poll.

An overwhelming 87% of North Carolina voters want judges to decide cases independently, based on the Constitution and the law – even if their decision differs from the voter’s own political beliefs or the views of the political party they represent. That opinion holds across party lines, with 89% of Democrats, 80% of Republicans, and 90% of unaffiliated voters wanting judges to rule free from partisan influence.

Those findings are from a survey conducted by Opinion Diagnostics, a polling firm that provides research for a variety of Republican politicians as well as non-political entities. The poll was commissioned by the nonpartisan voting rights organization Common Cause North Carolina.

“It’s clear that North Carolina voters want fair and independent courts that put their constitutionally protected freedoms above partisan politics,” said Sailor Jones, State Director of Common Cause North Carolina. “North Carolinians’ understanding of the major role judges play in their daily lives will likely mean these races will be top of mind for millions of voters when they cast their ballots this year, including in a pivotal seat on the state Supreme Court.”

The poll finds that 72% of North Carolina voters think at least sometimes about the effect that the NC Supreme Court has on their life, including a quarter of voters who say they often think about the state’s highest court and its impact on them.

But what voters think about the court is mixed. By a 38% to 32% margin, more voters hold a negative opinion of the NC Supreme Court with its current Republican majority than a positive opinion –  a 6% net negative view. Meanwhile, 29% of voters are unsure about their opinion of the court.

Republicans on the NC Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Paul Newby have issued several controversial rulings since gaining a majority of seats in the wake of the 2022 election. Among those was a 2023 decision in which the Republican majority ignored legal precedent and said North Carolina voters cannot challenge voting districts in court on the basis of partisan gerrymandering.

However, 76% of North Carolina voters disagree with the Newby-led court’s ruling in this case and instead say partisan gerrymandering should be illegal – including 79% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans, and 82% of unaffiliated voters.

Meanwhile, 82% of North Carolina voters want courts to protect against racial discrimination in how voting maps are drawn. Here there is also strong bipartisan agreement, with 93% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans, and 85% of unaffiliated voters saying courts should stand as a safeguard against racially discriminatory gerrymandering.

The survey of 671 registered North Carolina voters was conducted Sept. 15-17, 2025 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8%.

See the poll results, crosstabs, and polling memo here.

Common Cause North Carolina is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.