WOULD CHANGE SOME VOTERS MINDS IN THE 2024 ELECTION. MEANWHILE, A NEW POLL BY MEREDITH COLLEGE SHOWS PEOPLE VOTING IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. HERE ARE NOT BENDING THEIR OPINIONS. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP STILL HOLDS A COMMANDING LEAD OVER HIS REPUBLICAN CHALLENGERS. RON DESANTIS IS THE ONLY OTHER CANDIDATE TO HAVE DOUBLE DIGIT SUPPORT AMONG NC REPUBLICANS, WITH STILL JUST 13% OF THE VOTE. ALL EYES ON NORTH CAROLINA AND THE ROLE WE PLAY AHEAD OF THE 2024 GOP PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION. KARA PETERS SPOKE WITH THE EXPERTS ON WHAT THEY SAY COULD HAPPEN. SHE JOINS US LIVE IN STUDIO TONIGHT WITH MORE. KARA, DAVONTE AND CHRISTINE, IT’S NO SECRET THAT NORTH CAROLINA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN ONE OF THE CLOSEST AND MOST COMPETITIVE KYIV STATES IN RECENT PRESIDENTIAL RACES. AND NOW WITH THE STATE GROWING REFLECTED IN A CHANGE IN DISTRICT MAPS AND ELECTORAL VOTES, EXPERTS ARE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE TO USE YOUR VOTE. WE’RE A LITTLE LESS THAN SIX MONTHS FROM SUPER TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WHICH MEANS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE STARTING TO SET THEIR EYES ON WHICH STATES WILL GIVE THEM A BOOST IN THE LONG RUN. MICHAEL BESCHLOSS, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN FOR NBC NEWS, STOPPED BY WAKE FOREST WEDNESDAY FOR THEIR FACE TO FACE SPEAKER FORUM. HE SAYS WHEN IT COMES TO THE IMPORTANCE NORTH CAROLINA HOLDS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN, I THINK IT’S HARD TO ARGUE THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO THE WHITE HOUSE IF YOU DON’T WIN NORTH CAROLINA. BUT ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN WE’RE IN A COUNTRY WHERE A LOT OF STATES ARE NO LONGER COMPETITIVE ANYMORE. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW. NORTH CAROLINA IS ONE OF THEM. ONE OF THEM. AND THEREFORE, NORTH CAROLINA IS VERY MUCH A BELLWETHER OF WHAT’S GOING ON EVERYWHERE ELSE. ONE FACTOR THAT IS IMPACTING NORTH CAROLINA, THE NEWLY DRAWN DISTRICT MAPS. WELL, HERE WE ARE AGAIN. WE’RE REDRAWING MAPS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DECADE. THERE WERE SOME LITIGATION THAT WENT ON. AND AS A RESULT OF DECISIONS FROM THE STATE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA, THE MAPS WILL BE REDRAWN FOR THE STATE HOUSE, THE STATE SENATE AND THE STATE’S 14 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. OTHER FACTORS THAT COULD SWAY THE BALANCE. NORTH CAROLINA NOW WORTH 16 ELECTORAL VOTES AS COMPARED TO 15IN 2020. PLUS NEW VOTER ID LAWS IN PLACE IN THAT RESPECT, NORTH CAROLINA JOINED THE VAST MAJORITY OF OTHER STATES IN THE SOUTHEAST AND NEIGHBORING STATES IN WHICH ID OF SOME KIND IS REQUIRED. THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF THE STRICTNESS. DO YOU REQUIRE A PHOTO ID, WHICH PHOTO IDS QUALIFY? OVERALL, EXPERTS SAY DESPITE THESE FACTORS MAKING NORTH CAROLINA UNIQUE, YOUR VOTE IS WHAT ULTIMATELY MATTERS. AS ANYONE WHO LIVED THROUGH THE ELECTIONS OF 2016, CONGRESSIONAL AND 2018 2020, BIDEN VERSUS TRUMP SHOULD REALIZE THAT THESE THINGS ARE ARE HAIRBREADTH THINGS YOUR VOTE? I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A CLICHE. IT REALLY DOES COUNT IF YOU STAY AWAY. BUT THAT COULD BE THE VOTE THAT COULD COULD HAVE DETERMINED THINGS AND CONVERSATIONS SURROUNDING THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ALSO COME FOLLOWING THE RECENT LEGAL TROUBLES WITH FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. AND NOW FRONT RUNNER CANDIDATE BESCHLOSS SAID IT’S HARD TO PREDICT HOW THIS WILL AFFECT VOTERS IN THE LONG RUN. REPORTING LIVE TONIGHT IN STUDIO