(The Center Square) – As North Carolina recovers from the devastation from Hurricane Helene, the State Board of Elections said in a press conference on Thursday afternoon that all counties are on track to have early voting locations open.
This also comes as the voter registration deadline for mail-in ballots and Election Day voting looms on Friday at 11:59 p.m. Voters who would like to vote in person during the early voting period, which begins Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2, will still have the opportunity to same-day register.
“The State Board of Elections, the county boards of elections and our many partners are doing everything possible to ensure you can vote in this important election,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the board. “We made certain North Carolinians could vote during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and during past hurricanes and tropical storms. We will do it again in 2024, with as much tenacity and determination as ever for all North Carolinians.”
Safety and security of election results continues to be a priority for the board, which says the “chain of custody process” will be preserved.
While the devastation was widespread in western North Carolina with 88 reported dead, possibly over 100 still missing, and millions in property damage, the North Carolina General Assembly and the board have passed numerous resolutions to ensure voting continues smoothly.
Bell said that, before the hurricane, the 25 counties most affected by the storm had planned to open 80 early voting sites. On Oct. 17, which is next Thursday, 75 will open.
“It is absolutely outstanding that our county boards of elections have pulled this off in western North Carolina, given the devastation and destruction left by Helene,” Bell said.
The board plans to continue to work with counties to ensure that each of those locations are provided by FEMA and other emergency services the necessary supplies to run effectively.
“We are working with our partners … to help procure portable restrooms, generators and internet access at a handful of early voting sites to make sure that voting is possible in all 100 counties,” Bell said.
There are also 540 Election Day polling places in the 25 counties that the board and counties are in the “final stages” of assessing for damage.
Bell said the board encourages voters who voted by mail track their ballot through a service offered at NCSBE.gov, to ensure that it arrives and is properly counted. Voters should also visit this website for the latest information on voting locations.
There are no plans to move the voter registration deadline, or other deadlines, according to Bell.
“We felt like the other provisions gave them multiple options of being able to return their ballot to other locations,” Bell said. “We also knew that the Postal Service was up and running effectively … which meant that we were in a pretty good position for voters to be able to return their ballots timely, as defined by law, 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.”
