Article Summary –
The NC Board of Elections passed a resolution to adapt election procedures in 13 counties affected by Hurricane Helene, ensuring secure voting. Changes include flexible polling site locations, adjusted absentee ballot rules, and bipartisan approval for local decisions, with a focus on maintaining election integrity.
State Board Extends Election Flexibility to 13 Counties Amid Hurricane Helene
The North Carolina Board of Elections (BOE) has vowed that Hurricane Helene will not disrupt voting, granting 13 heavily affected counties the flexibility to conduct free and secure elections amid significant damage.
The BOE approved an emergency resolution allowing these counties to modify early voting sites and Election Day polling locations as needed. The resolution also temporarily alters absentee ballot rules, offering displaced residents more ballot return options.
Affected counties include Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, and others. Karen Brinson Bell, NCBOE’s executive director, stated that these changes enable counties to “administer this election under extraordinarily difficult conditions” while providing “robust voting options.”
Significant progress has been made in storm recovery, with all county boards now open and processing mail. Early voting is expected to start on Oct. 17 across all 100 state counties. “Early voting may look different,” Brinson Bell noted, “but it will go on.”
The state board collaborated with local boards, emergency management, and the US Postal Service to draft the resolution, requiring bipartisan county board approval for any changes. Brinson Bell anticipates most modifications will be approved unanimously.
Resolution Details
Early Voting:
- County boards can adjust early voting site numbers, locations, and hours without state board approval, pending a bipartisan majority.
Election Day:
- Counties may establish Election Day sites in adjacent counties with conditions, requiring Brinson Bell’s approval.
- Voters unable to reach their designated site may vote at any polling location within their county.
Mail Voting:
- Absentee ballots can be requested and picked up through Nov. 4 at county election offices.
- Completed ballots may be returned to any state board office by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5.
- Ballots can be delivered to any in-county voting site on Election Day by the voter or a relative.
Staffing:
- County boards can hire and reassign election officials statewide as needed. Bipartisan aid teams will manage absentee ballots at disaster sites.
Communication:
- The board will coordinate with emergency services to ensure temporary voting sites have necessary resources like generators and water.
- A direct contact for election officials will streamline communication with emergency personnel.
‘Day-to-Day Challenges’
Despite personal hardships, election officials strive for normalcy in the 2024 election, Brinson Bell said. Many workers are displaced, yet they remain committed to community service.
The state board may seek further changes as they assess the situation and will request $2 million from the General Assembly. Brinson Bell expressed confidence in the board’s ability to honor electoral commitments despite challenges, stating, “We’ve got this.”
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