(NewsNation) — After Hurricane Helene, many people in North Carolina are still without power and clean water. Ahead of next month’s election, county leaders are making last-minute changes to accommodate voters.
About 1.2 million registered voters in 25 counties are in areas affected by the storm.
On Thursday, 75 out of 80 early voting sites will be open, Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said. Last week, the state board approved emergency measures for 13 western counties hit hardest by Helene. These measures give the county election boards the ability to extend early voting days and hours, as well as open polling places in another county if theirs has been damaged. Voters who can’t get to their Election Day voting site can cast ballot at the county election office.
Voter ID will be required.
Even with these changes, there has been some confusion among those in the area.
Brandi Young is leading the aid station at a fire station in Yancey County that was supposed to be a polling station. She says they will have to move it to another location after the storm.
“They are not going to be able to vote here. There’s no way we can have people,” Young said. “There are so many people with needs that we can’t stop what we’re doing here. We are feeding people hot meals and giving them supplies. That’s going to be an ongoing thing, so we can’t shut down.”
North Carolina resident Harley Fox told NewsNation he’s not sure his location will be open.
“(I’m) very concerned,” Fox said. “I want it to be made as easy as possible.”
Brinson Bell stressed that while early voting and Election Day itself may look a little different, election officials will still be able to help people vote.
“When people show up we may be running some of those sites with generators. There’s going to be a lot of them that only have porta-potties available to the workers and to the voters,” Brinson Bell said. “But at the end of the day, we’re going to make sure that they can cast their ballot.”
Brinson Bell added that she has the same worries she always has come election time.
“Can we keep things running smoothly? Can we get voters out, and can we give them a good experience?” Brinson Bell asked. “Certainly Helene and all the devastation has challenged that.”
Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina says he expects a large turnout, but urged people not to wait until Election Day to take action.
“It’s important that folks right now today decide what their plan is to vote,” Edwards said. “Many people don’t have their power on. We can’t just wake up one morning and realize ‘Oh yes, now I have to go vote.’ I think it’s important that everyone make a plan now how they’re going to get to the polls.”
