The North Carolina Board of Elections has approved a resolution to modify voting locations and procedures for the 13 counties severely affected by Hurricane Helene. With early voting set to start on October 17, the Board acted to ensure that residents in those counties can still cast their ballots despite the storm’s damage.
The counties affected by these changes include Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey. The Board’s resolution gives local election officials the authority to alter early voting sites, add new drop-off points for absentee ballots, and adjust voting hours to ensure everyone has an opportunity to vote.
And this is why we push officials to action
BREAKING: North Carolina Board of Elections unanimously approves resolution to modify voting locations for all 13 counties affected by Hurricane Helenehttps://t.co/JcAPYPtoRW
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 8, 2024
Paul Cox, General Counsel for the Board of Elections, explained that the state anticipates challenges in maintaining enough poll workers for both early voting and Election Day. To address this, the resolution allows county boards to appoint poll workers from outside their own counties if needed, providing flexibility during this challenging time.
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
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 highlighted the critical need to ensure voter access while preserving election integrity, saying that this resolution allows for both. He noted that the bipartisan approval of the resolution underscores the shared commitment to making sure every eligible voter can participate in the upcoming elections.
With election offices back open, the state is working to implement the necessary changes ahead of the start of early voting.
