For many people, renting is a convenient option. It offers flexibility and may require less responsibility for maintenance. But owning a home can offer a different set of long-term benefits. Instead of paying rent to a landlord each month, homeowners are investing in a property that can potentially increase in value over time. That means your home may become an asset as you continue to live in it.
Home ownership can also provide more control over your living space, from decorating to renovations that really fit your lifestyle. And here's something that many people don't realize: there are education programs and financial assistance options available for first-time homebuyers.
Some of these programs even offer grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost, and grants typically don't have to be repaid. That's why learning about home ownership options can be an important step toward making the best decision for you and your family. To learn more, visit toolsforhomeownership.com. Woo! It's 505 and welcome in to a Monday edition of the Carolina Journal News Hour on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT.
I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you.
Well, we are about a month away from the start of early voting here in North Carolina. Absentee ballots going out back just a couple of weeks ago, and that's where we start our program on this Monday morning. Absentee by mail voting is off for the 2026 general election.
However, it is a little bit of a slower start since beginning back on September the 4th. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, nearly 60,000 ballots have been requested as of Friday. That was September the 11th, with 24,000, just shy of 25,000 requesting Democratic affiliation ballots, those that are registered as Democrats, followed by unaffiliated at 23,400. Republicans, 10,400, 156 Libertarians requesting absentee ballots, zero registered for the Green Party, with a total of 59,034 thus far in this election cycle. Breaking down where those ballots were requested geographically, Way County requesting a little over 10,600, the most requested, followed by Mecklenburg at 7,200, Bunkham County, 2,900, and Forsyth, 2,700, Durham, 2,500, with Terrell being the only county in North Carolina with zero requests to this point.
That total is down in comparison to the last midterm election. We go back to September the 11th, 2022, when at that point in the cycle, some 78,800 had requested their absentee ballots.
However, just coming out of COVID-19, that could have been one of the reasons for that. For the 2026 midterm election, there were 1,241 ballots cast as of Friday, which rolls out to about just 2% of the more than 7.8 million registered voters across the Tar Heel State. Civilian voting breaks down to 244, 68 for the military and 929 overseas. No surprise that the returns have been so heavily swayed to those overseas that are from North Carolina but living overseas. That total number is slightly up from this time in 2022 when 983 votes were cast, a difference of just 258 votes.
At that time, there were 656 Democrats who'd voted, followed by 501 unaffiliated, 82 Republicans, and one Libertarian and one Green ballot returned around September the 11th of 2022. Here in North Carolina, the party breakdowns have changed a little bit since the last midterm election. There are 2.3 million Democrats, 3.14 million unaffiliated, and 2.32 million registered Republicans, 46,000. Libertarians and just 4,800 Green Party voters that are registered with that party across the state of North Carolina. There were many counties who didn't have a recorded absentee ballot cast at this time in 2022, with North Carolina remaining the first state in the country, multiple cycles in a row, to send out mail-in ballots, some 60 days of absentee voting here across North Carolina.
Going back to a September the 3rd press conference, North Carolina State Board of Elections Director Sam Hayes said that all 100 county election boards were ready to begin mailing out absentee ballots despite several issues raising questions, including the uncertainty surrounding ongoing litigation over the United States Postal Service's new rules for mail-in voting. We go back to what has been happening over the last couple of weeks. A U.S. District Court judge blocked the Postal Service from moving ahead with plans to regulate mail-in ballots. Ballots for at least 14 days while she reviewed a possible permanent ban.
That move came days after the nation's high court, the U.S. Supreme Court, voted 6-3 to allow two provisions from the President's executive order, which goes back to March, to proceed. A hearing was held in front of the district court on September the third in Boston. She said she wouldn't rule from the bench, but she would issue her order as soon as possible. We're now ten days past that and have yet to get an order from that.
At an appeals court on Thursday, they upheld a block on President Donald Trump's executive order limiting mail-in voting, a decision that comes as the Supreme Court considers the same case. Nevertheless, here stateside, Sam Hayes from the State Board of Elections here in North Carolina said during that September the 3rd press conference, quote, our county workers are ready. They've been receiving adequate guidance and support from the state board. Our staff have been working with counties throughout the preparation stages, and we've put in the necessary resources to assist the counties as questions or issues arise. He said, while there are no new county board director of elections and new election workers, or while there are new directors and election workers, it's no different than any other election cycle and season in that they have received information and support from the state board of elections and will continue to do so.
The executive director also said that regional Support staff is on standby to assist counties throughout the elections, and that board staff have extensively reviewed all ballots that were mailed to voters, as well as all of the ballots that will be used at polling places. There are literally hundreds of different versions of the ballots across North Carolina with the different congressional districts, different members of the North Carolina General Assembly, districted positions within county commissions and school boards.
So there are a lot of unique ballots that exist here across the state. Additionally, new security measures have been implemented. A new security box will appear on county ballots, which will prevent ballots from being improperly processed through an early voting or election day tabulator. On September the 4th, the North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 3-2 along party lines. That was during a remote meeting to approve revised numbered memos guiding county election officials on how to handle the return of absentee ballots.
The numbered memos from the state board. To deal with governing those absentee ballot deficiencies, what is known as the cure process, the spoil and reissue process, and the in-person return of absentee ballots. Adam Steele, who is the associate general counsel from the board, said that state law requires the board to provide counties with procedural safeguards for processing returned absentee ballots, and that the law says that the board can either do so by instruction or through the rulemaking process. The board had already issued a revised ruling in February saying that some of the guidance of the memos needed to be changed. The board adopted those rules and in July they were approved unanimously by the Rules Review Commission, a 12-0 decision from that committee.
But 10 objections, including from individuals like Democrat Governor Josh Stein, who admitted he objected to those rules, triggered a process which kicks that rule back to the legislature for review, essentially blocking the process.
However, the procedural safeguards still needed to be in place, and that is why the state board of elections back on September the 4th decided to go through the numbered memo process. Regarding the absentee portal for uniformed and overseas absentee voting known as Yuvakava and visually impaired voters, military and overseas voters will be able to request, receive, and return their ballots through that portal. The voter registration deadline is coming up on October the 9th at 5 p.m. In-person early voting begins October the 15th and ends October the 31st at 3 p.m., a total of 17 days across 100 counties. And the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October the 20th at 5 p.m.
Changing from what we've seen past election cycles, absentee ballots must be not just postmarked, but received by a County Board of Elections by Election Day. And that needs to be in by 7.30 p.m. When the polls close, any ballots that are received after 7.30 p.m. on Election Day via absentee by mail will not be counted. Voters do also have the ability to return absentee ballots in person to their county board or to an early voting site in their county during the early voting period.
Voters are urged to read the instructions included in their ballots carefully and not to forget to seal the envelopes and include the proper proof of photo identification with the state board of election having multiple instructionary videos on how that process plays out. If voters are mailing in their ballots, they are urged to do so as soon as possible. And if they notice that their ballot wasn't accepted through the vote tracks system, which tracks the process of absentee by mail ballots, they can go to their polling place and cast an in-person ballot and reach out to their county board of election to make sure that that previous ballot will be spoiled. We are in the long haul here as we approach November the 3rd. We will continue keeping you up to date with some of these absentee ballot requests.
Totals. And of course, as we transition about a month from now into early voting, we'll start looking at those numbers on a daily basis as well. A lot on stake for both political parties here across North Carolina in these 2026 midterms. We'll be keeping you up to date with all the details over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. And as always, right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour.
Many people believe buying a home requires a large down payment and years of saving, but that's not always the case. Across the country, there are programs designed to help first-time homebuyers take the next step toward home ownership.
Some of these programs offer down payment assistance or grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost of purchasing a home. Grants are especially helpful because they generally do not have to be repaid. There are also organizations that provide homebuyer education, financial counseling, and guidance to help individuals understand the home buying process before they begin. The goal is simple: to help more families become informed and prepared for home ownership. If owning a home is something you've been thinking about, start by visiting toolsforhomeownership.com.
This message is brought to you by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling's Paving the Way Forward initiative. It's 521. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk 107.9 FM, WBT, and some other statewide news that we are tracking this morning. North Carolinians could begin the process of carrying a digital version of their driver's license or state identification cards on their phone by the end of this year or sometime in the early part of 2027. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicle, that is of course DMV, plans to make the identification available statewide through a new North Carolina wallet application, DMV Community Manager Marty Homan told the Carolina Journal in a recent interview.
DMV has described the wallet as a platform that could eventually hold additional government-issued credentials and connect residents with other state services, expanding the significance of privacy, security, and oversight questions beyond a traditional driver's license itself. The agency is currently in the process of targeting an end of 2026 or beginning of 2027 rollout for the Digital ID program. Despite their expected statewide availability by early 2027, law enforcement agencies are not expected to begin accepting mobile IDs until later next year. This is as DMV works with those agencies to determine how officers will verify that the licenses themselves are actually valid. The same process is underway with other businesses and organizations that need to verify a person's identity or age.
Here in North Carolina, the big question is the ABC system. That's the ABC stores and bars and restaurants that are IDing individuals to make sure they are over 21 before serving them. The program will be optional and available at no additional cost to North Carolinians who already have a valid state driver's license or state identification card. Physical licenses and IDs will remain available and valid for residents who do not want to use the digital version. To obtain a mobile ID, once the system is fully rolled out according to DMV, users will download the North Carolina wallet app, scan their physical license or identification card, and take a selfie.
At that point, DMV will compare the submitted information with its records before issuing that valid digital credential directly to your mobile phone itself. Once issued, the mobile ID will remain connected to DMV records and update automatically when information on a driver's license changes. For example, DMV says adding a motorcycle or commercial driver's license endorsement would automatically be reflected on the mobile ID. Credential, so almost instantaneously. Under state law, a mobile driver's license is legally equivalent to a physical license as the General Assembly authorized DMV.
to issue those mobile licenses in 2024 with that with the authority taking effect July 1st of 2025. Unlike simply displaying a driver's license photograph on a phone, the mobile ID must be electronically verified by compatible technology. Users will present that information through a tap or QR code, and it will be shown what information is being requested before deciding whether you want to share it. That will allow users in some situations to provide only the information necessary to verify whether it's a bar or restaurant checking to make sure you're 21 in that process. DMV, however, still recommends that residents carry their physical licenses or identification cards as a backup, especially in the early days of this system once it rolls out, as businesses, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations will begin what will probably be accurately described as the gradual process of adapting the technology that will accept those mobile IDs.
As North Carolina moves towards digital identification, the rollout is raising broader Questions about privacy, oversight, and security, as well as the state's readiness to expand the technology. As DMV says that the mobile ID is designed so the agency cannot track when and where residents use it. Going back to DMV spokesman Homan, he says NCDMV cannot see where or when you use your mobile ID. When you present your mobile ID, it does not, quote, phone home to NCDMV or create a record within the DMV showing where your ID was used. The agency also says users will be required to authenticate themselves through facial recognition, a fingerprint or device passcode before presenting the credential, meaning possession of a lost or stolen phone alone would not allow someone to use your mobile ID.
Privacy and security were among the issues lawmakers identified when they authorized mobile licenses back in 2024. The legislation directed DMV to examine the security and confidentiality of driver information, as well as concerns from state and local law enforcement and potential constitutional issues. Jeanette Dorn, who is the senior legal counsel at the John Locke Foundation, said that DMV's assurances about tracking highlights a distinction between protections built into the technology and protections guaranteed by law. Doran said, NCDMV says it can't see where or when you used your mobile ID, and I have no reason to doubt their design intent. But that is a technical assurance from the vendor's architecture, not a legal guarantee in statute.
Doran said that lawmakers should consider who will independently oversee the system and what protections would remain if its technology or practices change. She told the Carolina Journal: Before North Carolinians trust their driver's license to an app, the legislature should be asking who audits that system, what happens if the design changes, and what recourse citizens have if it doesn't work as promised. Noting there's a real difference between the system is built not to log this and it's illegal for the system to log this, and someone checks. Questions about oversight will continue to arise as DMV moves ahead with a program that previously drew scrutiny of a state agency's preparedness. In an August 2025 performance audit, it found that DMV was not operationally prepared to issue mobile licenses when its authority took effect to do so on July the 1st of 2025.
Agency planning documents at that time projected an 18 to 24 month implementation process and a full launch, a complete launch by September the 30th of 2026, obviously a timeline that was not met. The audit also estimated that the program would cost between $750,000 and $1.4 million to implement, with an additional $275,000 to $600,000 annually for staffing and maintenance. There are about 20 states across the nation right now that have a similar mobile ID process to what is being discussed and will be rolled out here, hopefully sooner rather than later in North Carolina. Our only neighbors consist of Virginia and Kentucky. Kentucky has what they call their KY mobile ID system.
And in Virginia, they have their VAMID app that works very similarly as well. 20 states that include mobile identification at this point. North Carolina should be on that list shortly. As soon as we start learning more details about that rollout, what the process is going to look like, we'll bring you the details right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour and over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com. Mm-hmm.
Many people believe buying a home requires a large down payment and years of saving, but that's not always the case. Across the country, there are programs designed to help first-time homebuyers take the next step toward home ownership.
Some of these programs offer down payment assistance or grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost of purchasing a home. Grants are especially helpful because they generally do not have to be repaid. There are also organizations that provide homebuyer education, financial counseling, and guidance to help individuals understand the home buying process before they begin. The goal is simple: to help more families become informed and prepared for home ownership. If owning a home is something you've been thinking about, start by visiting toolsforhomeownership.com.
This message is brought to you by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling's Paving the Way Forward initiative. This is Matt Rogers from Lost Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bo and Yang. This is Bo and Yang from Lost Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bo and Yang. You know when people try a new food and suddenly it's like, wait. That's the reaction a lot of people are having when they first try Cupie Mayo.
It's the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle. You've probably seen it in the grocery store before. And if you've ever just walked past it, some people would say that's a huge mistake. Because this mayo is different. Most mayonnaise uses whole eggs.
Cupie only uses egg yolks, which gives it this rich umami flavor. It's smoother, deeper, and almost buttery. Once people try it, they start putting it on everything. Egg sandwiches, fries, burgers.
Some fans even swear by dipping pizza crust in it. And once you notice it, you start seeing it everywhere. Chefs use it, restaurants use it, people who really care about flavor use it. Never tried it? Grab the bottle with the red cap next time you're at the store.
Store. Put it on just about anything. Then you'll understand. Cupie, the original Japanese mayonnaise. It's 5:37.
Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. I'm Nick Craig. Good morning to you.
Continuing our 2026 election coverage, we are going to be keeping an eye on a lot of races across North Carolina as we extend the stretch into the November the 3rd midterm election. We are focusing on an interesting controversy that is brewing for a Democrat candidate running for the North Carolina General Assembly to walk us through some of those details this morning. Andrew Pomerance, CarolinaJournal.com joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour. Andrew, no surprise. We've seen this in the past.
Past social media comments catching up with those seeking elected office. What's the latest that you're following? Yeah, hey Nick, good morning. One of the more shocking, I think, election stories to come out of North Carolina this cycle is related to candidate, Democrat candidate Shelly Hayden, out of Guilford County, running for a seat that is currently held by Representative John Bloss. Out there, House District 62.
And this is a district that is a lean Republican. It's an R plus two over at the Civitas Parson Index. And so a seat that was labeled really early in this race as crucial if Democrats want to regain a majority in the House. And so obviously a big blow for them. And it came out this week that her social media comments have long, long gone on that have been quite provocative, especially when addressing the MAGA movement or related to President Trump.
And the first comment that kind of caught people's attentions this week, the first post is she responded to a post. Uh Other countries and rooting for them over the United States. And in response to that, she said, I think our only hope is an attack on U.S.
soil, preferably Alabama or Louisiana, where the stupid people live, right?
So this was a about a year ago, she commented this, but pop-up, the week of 9-11, I think caught a lot of people's attentions and drew more attention to this race where, you know, just two weeks ago, we had reported that a couple of police reports were filed at her home, which she kind of disputes the claims of, but we reported, you know, that she was actually listed as the suspect and her husband the victim in those reports citing domestic violence. And, you know, she came out and put out a statement that was since been deleted on social media saying that it was a tough time in her marriage and she was actually the victim in one of the instances and is not sure why she was listed the suspect. But, you know, so this is an ongoing, I think, controversy surrounding this candidate out there in House District 62, like I said, out in Guilford County. And I think a real blow. to what the Democrats, I think, hoped would be potentially a majority year for them.
Yeah, no question about it. There's a lot on the line for both political parties. Over the last 15 years, we've seen Republicans hold those majorities in the North Carolina General Assembly. We're not making election predictions here, Andrew, but with a blue wave expected during a midterm election here in 2026, looking like some of the best odds and best opportunities for Democrats to flip, at least with the North Carolina House that they've had in many years. Her response when criticized on this was even almost more bizarre than her original comment.
She spoke to the Assembly. Would you read through part of her statement? Yeah, she spoke to the assembly and we've gone back and forth with her a little bit. And her comment to them, I think even the assembly's reports were shocked by, and she says, you know, I've sacrificed myself just like Jesus sacrified himself on the cross and Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln and all the people that put themselves out there to sacrifice for our country. If a few angry moments on social media are the end, then so be it.
MAGA will keep winning if we can continue with not standing up for what's right, right? And so her response to this, I mean, comparing herself to both Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, and Abraham Lincoln, after coming out and making some of these, you know, really. Comments are anti-American. She the post that's kind of circulating today or last Friday is her in front of a Nazi concentration camp and saying this is where all the Trump supporters should go, right? And she continually referred online in some of these comments to Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust, referring them directly to MAGA and Republican supporters and other elected officials.
And they should go there to die and getting close to surpassing Hitler. She called Trump in one post. And so comparing yourself to Jesus and then also calling other folks Nazis is quite the Point view for Shelly Hayden. Yeah, and the image literally posting a picture of herself smiling in her caption, concentration camp in Germany. This is where Trump supporters belong is a completely unhinged thing to publicly post on social media.
Andrew, you know, the social media age is here, and it's going to be interesting over the next 20 or 30 years as folks in their early 20s have a long history of posting on social media. But I think it's important to note for our audience here as we talk about this story. These are not posts that date back 10 or 15 years.
Some of these things have been posted within the last 12 months. These are relatively new posts and can't fall in the excuse of I was a stupid teenager. I didn't really understand what I was posting. I was trying to be edgy and kind of on the line as many teenagers go through that phase. She was a grown adult when she made these posts, correct?
Absolutely. It was in the last year or two. And when pressed about a lot of these, she's quick to say: if I've hurt someone's feelings, I apologize, but I don't apologize for what I said. She's really stood by a lot of what she said and not come out in a manner that is, I apologize, I made a mistake. I didn't mean to say these things.
But really, in. And so defending a lot of what she says and, you know, portraying herself as this angry social media personality that lets herself go when she gets frustrated in this manner. And so I think you're right. I think it's important to note: one, that all these posts were within the last two years, she's standing behind them. And two, you know, we've not heard a true apology yet from her about some of these things she's saying.
And a, you know, just. A real apology in the manner of, you know, really rejecting some of the associations she made between both MAGA and Hitler. And then also this comment about, you know, we need an attack on American soil. And so a very strange situation. You know, you assume, you know, a lot of times when old social media posts come up, the first thing the person who posted them does is apologize, right?
I was young. I've made a mistake. I didn't mean to say these things. And that has not been her message. Like we just talked about comparing herself to Jesus Christ in her rebuttal.
And so a very strange situation developing here. And, you know, it's gotten the attention of a lot of the lawmakers down in Raleigh. Yeah. And I think most folks will give people some grace falling on the excuse of, hey, I was young, dumb, and stupid when I was making those posts at 17 on Facebook or some other social media platforms. Not the case here.
Let's jump into a little bit of that reaction. No question about it, Andrew, as you just recounted some of the insane posts from this candidate running for the North Carolina General Assembly, some big time lawmakers, including the speaker of the North Carolina House. In Destin Hall, jumping in on this as well. What does he have to say? Yeah, you know, he and other Republicans in the House leadership have really tried to tie this candidate to Josh Stein and the rest of the House Democratic leadership.
You know, she has been someone who they've had their finger on for a long time, hoping that she would run.
Someone who's been at a lot of these campaign events. I've seen her in pictures with former Governor Roy Cooper running for the Senate, House leadership, Anita Earls, right, Supreme Court Justice and Earl's on the ballot again.
So someone who's not unfamiliar in Democratic circles. And so Dustin Hall says, you know, a candidate backrolled and backed by Josh Stein, House Democratic leadership is calling for an attack on American soil. Absolutely disgusting, which I think we can all agree with right here in the week of 9-11. And so, you know, or last week. And so, you know, so much going on in this story.
You know, Representative Alan Chester out of Nash County, for a veteran himself, goes on to really dive into this issue and say, you know, this is something that is disqualifying. You know, we can go to Raw. And have disagreements about taxes in schools, but we cannot disagree about whether it's acceptable to hope and attack. Lands on our country or our neighbors, right? And so a lot of harsh words coming from the Republican side.
And I think, you know, just a harsh criticism coming from the Democratic caucus. House Democratic caucus said this week that they will no longer be supporting her campaign, both financially or with. Their organization. I saw the Guilford County Democratic Party put out a statement condemning her and saying that they are also no longer going to help her in her seeking office. Important to note here that she is beyond the deadline to withdraw from the race and have her.
Name removed from the ballot.
So that is not something that Democrats can look to do and replace her in that manner. But they can pull their support and they are doing so rather quickly here. Yeah, well, Andrew, that's exactly what I was going to ask you with absentee ballots going out a little over a week ago here across North Carolina. Any candidate that where controversy comes up and they feel like they're being pushed out of the race at this point because printed ballots have been sent out, there's really nothing that can be done if that candidate decides to withdraw. Those ballots are going out one way or the other.
And this is an issue, right, that I'm sure both Democratic campaigners and Republican campaigners have known about for a while. You know, she even went on the record and said that, you know, she hired a social media advisor to go through her posts earlier in the campaign. And so, you know, this is something I'm sure has been boiling under the surface. These are long time posts, like I've said, in groups targeting North Carolina politics. And so she seems to be rather familiar in those groups.
And so I'm sure this is not something that is catching Democrats by surprise this last week here, but something that is now being, you know, a lot of tension is being thrown at it. I think some of those older tweets may be coming up now. And so we'll see whether or not, you know, how Democrats continue to respond to this. We still have not heard from former Governor Roy Cooper condemning the statement or Governor Josh Stein. And so I assume eventually we will hear from them on this issue as they get pressed by reporters on it.
But until then, we will continue to see kind of the Democratic establishment kind of, you know, Further distance themselves from her. Yeah, well, she admitted she'd spent $30,000 paying a firm to go through and scrub her social media. Hopefully, she's able to get a refund on that because, obviously, with everything coming out over the last couple of days, Andrew, they obviously didn't do a thorough job of that. This is going to be a lot of stuff going on over the next couple of weeks here as we kick off early voting starting in middle October. As we approach Election Day on November the 3rd, we will have comprehensive coverage of everything as it relates to the 2026 midterm elections over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com.
We appreciate the update this morning. Andrew Pomerance joins us on the Carolina Journal News Hour. For many people, renting is a convenient option. It offers flexibility and may require less responsibility for maintenance. But owning a home can offer a different set of long-term benefits.
Instead of paying rent to a landlord each month, homeowners are investing in a property that can potentially increase in value over time. That means your home may become an asset as you continue to live in it. Home ownership can also provide more control over your living space, from decorating to renovations that really fit your lifestyle. And here's something that many people don't realize: there are education programs and financial assistance options available for first-time homebuyers.
Some of these programs even offer grant funding that may help cover part of the upfront cost, and grants typically don't have to be repaid. That's why learning about home ownership options can be an important step toward making the best decision for you and your family. To learn more, visit toolsforhomeownership.com. Oh. This is Matt Rogers from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bo and Yang.
This is Bo and Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bo and Yang. You know when people try a new food and suddenly it's like, wait. That's the reaction a lot of people are having when they first try Cupie Mayo. It's the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle. You've probably seen it in the grocery store before.
And if you've ever just walked past it, some people would say that's a huge mistake. Because this mayo is different. Most mayonnaise uses whole eggs. Cupie only uses egg yolks, which gives it this rich umami flavor. It's smoother, deeper, and almost buttery.
Once people try it, they start putting it on everything: egg sandwiches, fries, burgers.
Some fans even swear by dipping pizza crust in it. And once you notice it, you start seeing it everywhere. Chefs use it, restaurants use it. People who really care about flavor use it. Never tried it?
Grab the bottle with the red cap next time you're at the store. Put it on just about anything. Then you'll understand. Cupie, the original. original Japanese mayonnaise.
Good morning again. It's 5.55. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour, Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. We've got a couple of recent political polls here in North Carolina that we're going to walk through here as we round out this very busy Monday edition of the program. According to the latest poll from Elon University, former Democrat governor, returned Senate candidate Roy Cooper remains an 11-point remains his 11-point advantage over Republican candidate Michael Watley, with 49% of likely voters saying that they would vote for Cooper, 36% for Watley, 14 in this Elon poll remained as undecided, and 2% saying that they did not plan to vote.
This poll was conducted August the 21st through the 31st and is a survey of 800 likely voters, a margin of error of about 5.6%. The latest poll from East Carolina University was a bit closer than from From Elon with Cooper leading Watley 46 to 39. Another 14% were undecided in that poll as well, and 2% planned to vote for another candidate. The ECU poll was conducted August the 31st through September the 3rd. And surveyed some 675 likely voters.
We talked about this in great detail back just a couple of weeks ago. The most recent Carolina Journal poll showed Cooper holding a 12.5-point lead over Watley. That was a survey of 600 likely general election voters. Within the Carolina Journal poll, Cooper was at over 50% for the first time, 51.5% according to Carolina Journal's poll, where Watley stood at 39%. High Point University's latest poll also shows much closer results, with 50% of likely voters saying that they would vote for Cooper and 45% saying that they would vote for Watley if the election were today.
And so as we get much closer to the election season, Labor Day officially kicking off for many of those in the political sphere, the march towards November the 3rd, we will see a lot more political polling in the incredibly high-stakes race here in North Carolina. Carolina, former Democrat governor Roy Cooper, former head of the RNC and North Carolina Republican Party Michael Watley. We'll have a new Carolina Journal poll out here very shortly as well. And we'll be keeping you up to date with all the details over on our website, CarolinaJournal.com, and each and every weekday morning, right here on the Carolina Journal News Hour. That's going to do it for a Monday edition.
WBT News is next, followed by Good Morning BT. We're back for you tomorrow morning, 5 to 6, right here on Charlotte's FM News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. Yeah. Emotional processing and wellness are about self-care and discovery. Bring immediate dopamine boosting joy to your daily journaling with the G2 Smiley World collection from Pilot.
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