Hurricane Helene hasn't stopped Western North Carolinians from voting early

Hurricane Helene, North Carolina's deadliest large wind successful modern times, ravaged communities successful nan westernmost corners of nan state, but it has not deterred resilient residents from early voting. In fact, turnout is shattering records successful a battleground authorities that could find nan result of nan 2024 statesmanlike election.

"What astir of nan affected counties are seeing is tremendous turnout," said Karen Brinson Bell, executive head of nan North Carolina State Board of Elections. "We person seen a ample outpouring conscionable from nan voters themselves, coming to nan region boards of elections, making judge that they tin still beryllium a canvass worker, making judge that they're going to beryllium capable to cast their ballot."

File: A ample statement of imaginable voters hold extracurricular an early voting tract connected October 17, 2024 successful Asheville, North Carolina.  Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images

With harm estimates exceeding $50 billion, Helene near immoderate of nan astir severely impacted regions without power, cleanable water, captious roadways and infrastructure complete a period aft it made landfall.

But predetermination workers' swift pivot to emergency measures and coordination pinch authorities administrators successful nan contiguous aftermath of Helene person resulted successful a comparatively soft early voting process for residents successful nan 25 FEMA-designated disaster counties. Statewide, much than 2 cardinal formed their ballots wrong nan first week of early voting successful nan battleground state.

Questions person persisted successful immoderate circles astir whether this heavily-damaged swath of North Carolina would beryllium fresh for nan 2024 elections. Last week, GOP Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, nan chair of House Freedom Caucus, suggested nan Legislature should see awarding nan state's electoral votes to erstwhile President Trump earlier votes were counted. 

"Look, you sewage disenfranchised successful 25 counties, you cognize what that ballot astir apt would've been," Rep. Harris said during a chat astatine nan Lincoln Reagan meal successful Maryland. 

Harris' comments sparked an contiguous backlash from his North Carolina GOP colleague, Rep. Patrick McHenry. "It makes nary consciousness whatsoever to prejudge nan predetermination outcome, and that is simply a misinformed position of what is happening connected nan crushed successful North Carolina," McHenry said.

In a connection to CBS News, Harris offered a explanation and said his "theoretical" speech had been taken retired of context. "As I've many times said, each ineligible ballot should beryllium counted," Harris said. "Currently, voting is going very good successful Western North Carolina." 

Measures implemented by nan Legislature and nan State Board of Elections successful caller weeks person allowed typical accommodations to beryllium made for nan hardest-hit counties. That includes caller polling sites, expanded voting hours and much absentee ballot drop-off locations. Of nan 80 sites initially planned for early voting successful nan affected counties, 76 are presently operational, pinch plans to expand, according to predetermination officials.

For Yancey County residents for illustration Victor Mansfield, not voting was ne'er an option. "Nothing was going to extremity maine from voting," he said. 

Mansfield lives on a one-lane upland roadworthy successful Burnsville, North Carolina, successful 1 of nan counties heavy damaged by nan storm. He had nary energy for 4 days earlier he hiked downhill to a shelter astatine a Red Cross facility. Mansfield said he was amazed by turnout connected nan 2nd time of early voting erstwhile he formed his ballot. "I was elector number 1,276," he said. "I cognize immoderate different folks I spell to religion pinch whose location was wholly destroyed… they made judge they were present truthful they could early vote."

More than one-third of Yancey County's 14,600 registered voters person formed their ballots early and successful personification truthful far, according to region committee officials, averaging astir 700 voters per time since voting began connected Oct. 17.

Joseph Trivette, lawman head of nan Avery County Board of Elections says contempt nan important challenges, turnout successful his region has been noteworthy.

"We're averaging correct astir 500 a day. I cognize it whitethorn not sound large to different places, but for Avery we person a full of 13,000 voters to springiness aliases return some…averaging 500 a time is huge," said Trivette. "Avery County ever comes retired to vote, nary matter who you're voting for."

Buncombe County, nan largest successful Western North Carolina and location to 214,530 registered voters, initially saw humble early voting numbers. But wrong days, location was an awesome surge successful turnout, averaging much than 7,000 voters per day.

"I'm liking nan trend, group are getting retired each azygous time to do this," said Jake Quinn, chair of nan Buncombe County Board of Elections. "If we tin conscionable proceed this done adjacent week, we're gonna beryllium beautiful good."

The Republican National Committee and nan North Carolina Republican Party asserted much could beryllium done to reside constricted entree for hurricane-affected voters successful nan western, traditionally Republican-leaning counties. In a letter to nan Buncombe County Board of Elections and State Board of Elections, they alleged "partisan elector suppression" successful Buncombe County, and demanded expanded accommodations for voters successful much distant areas.

Buncombe County predetermination officials opportunity 10 of 14 planned early voting sites are operational, pinch 80 planned for Election Day, including 1 FEMA shelter polling location, and 500 region canvass workers.

"We conscionable want to make judge that this predetermination is smooth, arsenic soft arsenic tin beryllium nether these bonzer circumstances. And we're assured that we've been truthful observant astir pursuing processes and procedures properly, pursuing nan law, documenting everything we do, each determination we make," said Quinn. "We're maintaining nan integrity done immoderate mighty challenging circumstances."

Cristina Corujo and Ellis Kim contributed to this report.

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• Voting
• North Carolina
• Hurricane