Inside the minds of North Carolina's undecided voters

In the last presidential election, former president Donald Trump carried North Carolina by just over 1% of the ballots cast — one of the narrowest victories in any state. Current polls show him neck and neck against Vice President Kamala Harris, and the outcome may be decided by which candidate can sway undecided voters. WFDD’s David Ford and DJ Simmons visited several counties across the Piedmont and High Country to find out why some people remain on the fence. 

Chris Carthen, his wife and seven children, live in Burlington, and they occasionally shop for groceries at Compare Foods in Greensboro. 

"The more this thing goes on Trump, I don't know if he's as bad a guy as I thought he was," says Carthen. "I don't know. It's so much information out there. It's almost information overload, and so you don't know what to believe and what to think half the time. So, I just got to do a little more research and see. Because Harris keeps saying what she can do and wants to do. You're in office now. He did none of that, and it's like, why aren't you doing it now? Even as Vice President, you got power. So, I don't know. I don't know. We'll see."

Amber Bigelow emerges from the Dollar Store in Graham, North Carolina, crosses the parking lot and says it’s still too early to say. 

"You want to know something, I'm neither Democrat nor Republican," she says. "So, I'm really looking into both of their politics. So, I'm not really sure yet."

In downtown Graham, Pastor Brian Dehart sips a coffee at an outdoor cafe in Court Square.

"My children say this to people all the time: 'Dad is a conservative libertarian,' and so I'm none of the above, and I will be praying between now and then," says Dehart. "I do lean conservative, but I will keep educating myself. I guess you would say I'm one of those unidentified voters right now. I will seek the Lord, and I will make the best decision, I think, for not just myself, but for the next generation. And that's, that's where I'm leaning. I'm leaning right down the middle, man [laughs]."  

Undecided voter Christian Lannie stops his walk along King Street in Boone to share his thoughts

"I'd say they're equal," he says. "I mean, you know, you say what you will about one party or the other. I mean, the former president, nothing surprises me. He's acted this way his entire life. So, to expect something different would be stupid."

At the Children’s Playground at Recreation Acres Park in King, Stokes County voter Barbara Carr pauses from playing with her toddler grandson Cole.

"I don't know," she says. "I know that when Donald Trump was president, he did good things for the country, financially. As a person, I don't like him. And Kamala I'm just really not sure of one way or another yet."

In Yadkinville, John Willingham takes a break from eating his lunch at The Center Bistro to talk politics.

"Absolutely I will vote on a local, state and national level," says Willingham. "I haven't made up my mind on some of the elections. I'm a very thoughtful person. I'm not sure that we have the best candidates in these races at this point, but we have no choice. So, there are going to be some hard decisions that have to be made. I'm gonna vote. I’m going to exercise that right. But I haven’t really made up my mind."

And in an election that may well be decided by undecided voters, the clock is ticking for both presidential candidates to turn that indecision into a solid vote for Trump or Harris.