Oct 02, 2024 - 03:59
By npr.org

Hurricane Helene upends election planning in some parts of North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina election officials said Tuesday that early voting would start as planned on Oct. 17, including in counties that were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene.

But they don't know how many early voting sites and Election Day polling places might be unusable in the swing state because of the storm.

"There may be polling places impacted by mudslides, there may be polling places inaccessible because of damaged roads, and there may be polling places with trees that have fallen on them," said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

North Carolina is still trying to assess the damage from Helene, which caused massive flooding in the mountainous western part of the state.

Twelve county elections offices were still closed because of the storm as of Tuesday evening. That means elections officials there can't process new registrations and they can't send out or receive mail ballots.

The state's registration deadline is Oct. 11 — though eligible voters can register in person at early voting sites during the early voting period, from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2.

Brinson Bell said she hopes to know by the end of the week whether any polling places need to be moved. She said it's possible the board could set up temporary early voting sites in tents in parking lots — something it did after Hurricane Dorian in eastern North Carolina in 2019.

She is confident the election will move forward as planned.

"It's not without consideration that I or someone else will go in that community and knock on doors if that's what it takes," she said.