Many communities in North Carolina are making last-minute changes to their 2024 election schedules this month in the wake of Hurricane Helen.
In Buncombe County, one of the counties hardest hit by the storm, the Board of Elections approved new times and locations for early voting. Early voting begins Thursday morning, and votes will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Nov. 1.
“We have a new early voting plan,” Buncombe Board of Elections Chairman Jake Quinn said in a statement. “Everyone, please spread the word.”
The City of Buncombe is also having to adjust its polling locations, as some are no longer suitable or difficult to access. county The list has been published Some locations are currently offering early voting.
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Workers, community members and business owners clean up debris from Hurricane Helen in Marshall, North Carolina. (Javin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Buncombe County voted resolutely for President Biden in the 2020 election, according to state records. Mr. Biden received 96,515 votes and former President Trump received 62,412 votes, giving a vote ratio of 60% to 40%.
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Nearby Watauga County also announced its own revised early voting schedule this month. According to the county election board, none of the polling locations have changed, but they plan to expand polling location hours on weekends during early voting. Residents can access polling places Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Drone footage of the hurricane damage that followed Helen's death in Asheville, North Carolina on September 29th. Asheville is located in Buncombe County. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
“We are grateful to everyone who worked so hard to get our county’s infrastructure back up and running so quickly. It's really amazing to see. That's what America is all about. This has helped minimize disruption to voters and ensured that all voices are heard, as well as new weekend shifts. We would like to thank all the election officials who have come forward,” the board said in a statement.
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Biden won Watauga County in the 2020 election, receiving 53% of the vote to Trump's 44%.
A man fills out a ballot at a polling place in Mount Gilead, North Carolina, on May 17, 2022.
State election officials are scheduled to hold a news conference later Thursday to explain other steps they are taking to ensure the election goes smoothly.
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Approximately 25 counties are said to have been significantly affected by Helen. It includes 76 polling places. Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, and Colin Duncan, Buncombe County elections director, will lead the press conference.
A majority of North Carolina voters in the 25 counties affected by Helen are Republicans, according to state voter registration records. There are 482,930 registered Republicans in the area, compared to 294,106 Democrats, officials said. There are also 492,546 independent voters.
