A helicopter lands in a yard close to Black Mountain, N.C., within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Monday.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina election officers mentioned Tuesday that early voting would begin as deliberate on Oct. 17, together with in counties that had been devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene.
However they do not know what number of early voting websites and Election Day polling locations could be unusable within the swing state due to the storm.
“There could also be polling locations impacted by mudslides, there could also be polling locations inaccessible due to broken roads, and there could also be polling locations with timber which have fallen on them,” mentioned Karen Brinson Bell, govt director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
North Carolina remains to be attempting to evaluate the injury from Helene, which brought about large flooding within the mountainous western a part of the state.
Twelve county elections workplaces had been nonetheless closed due to the storm as of Tuesday night. Meaning elections officers there cannot course of new registrations they usually cannot ship out or obtain mail ballots.
The state’s registration deadline is Oct. 11 — although eligible voters can register in particular person at early voting websites throughout the early voting interval, from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2.
Brinson Bell mentioned she hopes to know by the top of the week whether or not any polling locations should be moved. She mentioned it is attainable the board might arrange non permanent early voting websites in tents in parking heaps — one thing it did after Hurricane Dorian in jap North Carolina in 2019.
She is assured the election will transfer ahead as deliberate.
“It is not with out consideration that I or another person will go in that neighborhood and knock on doorways if that is what it takes,” she mentioned.
Voting in a vital swing state
North Carolina is taken into account one among seven swing states that might resolve the presidential election. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Harris have made quite a few visits to the state this yr, and polls present it is a toss-up.
It is unclear how the storm will affect who seems to vote.
One of many hardest-hit counties is Buncombe County, dwelling to Asheville, which is a Democratic stronghold. However general, many of the impacted counties are conservative and gave Trump massive margins within the 2020 election.
Mail ballots are already out
North Carolinians have already began voting by mail. Usually, small shares of the state’s voters solid mail ballots — within the 2022 election, nearly 5% voted by mail.
The state elections board mentioned about 250,000 mail ballots have already been despatched out for the 2024 election. It did not know what number of of these ballots went to western North Carolina.
It is attainable a few of these ballots had been washed away within the storm. Others are in all probability ready in submit workplaces, unable to be delivered. Postal service within the area is broadly disrupted.
Brinson Bell mentioned North Carolina voters can monitor the standing of their mail ballots on-line, if they’ve web entry. They will request a brand new mail poll and the state will void the outdated one, or they’ll merely ignore their requested mail poll and vote in particular person.
The state’s mail ballots had been already delayed by greater than two weeks after the North Carolina Supreme Courtroom ordered the elections board to reprint ballots to take away Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s title from the presidential race. The ballots had been despatched out in late September to voters who requested them.
Along with the delay in getting mail ballots despatched, there is also a tighter window for these ballots to be returned. The Republican-led Basic Meeting eradicated a three-day grace interval for mail ballots to reach after Election Day. For ballots to depend, they need to arrive at county elections boards by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5. (Army ballots and ballots from abroad civilians can arrive later.)
Brinson Bell mentioned she does not know whether or not she is going to ask state lawmakers to revive the three-day grace interval.
She mentioned it would make extra sense to ask for extra flexibility in the place voters can return their mail ballots. Underneath present state legislation, voters can drop off mail ballots solely at voting websites throughout early voting. She mentioned she may search permission to permit voters to drop off mail ballots at polling locations on Election Day.
“[We’re] seeing whether or not that is one thing that is extra reasonable and helpful,” she mentioned.
Voters in affected counties do have extra flexibility on the subject of the state’s new voter identification necessities. In accordance with the state elections board: “One of many permitted exceptions is for voters who’re unable to supply ID due to a pure catastrophe that occurred inside 100 days of an election. … Because of this voters in or from the 25 counties underneath a catastrophe declaration could use this exception to the picture ID requirement, if they’re unable to point out ID when voting due to the pure catastrophe.”