Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Board of Elections has unanimously approved a resolution to modify voting locations for the 13 most affected counties. Early voting starts on October 17, and the changes are designed to help voters in these areas cast their ballots without delay.
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 impacted include Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey. These adjustments will include moving voting sites, extending voting hours, and adding more drop-off locations for absentee ballots.
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
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, noted that maintaining enough poll workers could be a challenge. The resolution permits counties to bring in poll workers from other areas to ensure proper staffing on both early voting days and Election Day.
Board Chair Alan Hirsch stressed the significance of this resolution, stating, “It’s essential to provide access to every voter while maintaining the integrity of the vote count.” Local election offices have reopened and are working on implementing these changes before early voting begins.