In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Board of Elections has approved a unanimous resolution to modify in-person voting locations and procedures in 13 counties that were hardest hit by the storm. Early voting begins on October 17, and the changes will help ensure that voters in these counties can still cast their ballots.
North Carolina State Board Of Elections Alters Rules Due to Hurricane Helene Disaster
The North Carolina State Board of Elections issued an emergency declaration.
The declaration authorizes county election boards in 13 affected counties to take a “bipartisan majority vote” on… pic.twitter.com/lpn8puvF5c
— ❣️Anne❣️ (@USA_Anne711) October 8, 2024
The counties affected include Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey. These modifications include adjusting early voting locations, extending hours and adding more absentee ballot drop-off sites to assist storm-affected residents.
Paul Cox, the Board’s General Counsel, acknowledged that maintaining enough poll workers could be a challenge in these regions. The resolution allows local election boards to bring in poll workers from other counties and reassign them as needed to ensure that all voting locations are fully staffed.
It’s all about cheating.
10 days before early voting is supposed to start…the North Carolina Board of Elections CHANGED the Voting Rules in the Counties Affected by the Hurricane.
They’ll also be importing ‘poll watchers’ due to the weather. pic.twitter.com/1u5VDJeeIM
— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) October 9, 2024
Board Chair Alan Hirsch noted that the resolution was critical to guaranteeing that citizens in the affected counties have access to voting while ensuring the integrity of the election process remains intact.
With county election offices reopened, preparations are underway to implement these changes before early voting begins.
