Last week, Republicans in North Carolina, which was hit by Hurricane “Helene,” held a meeting with the main task of figuring out ways to reach out to displaced or isolated potential Trump supporters. They discussed options like using helicopters to deliver absentee ballots or using mules or all-terrain vehicles to transport voters to polling stations.
On the other hand, Democratic supporters of Kamala Harris took a different approach by excluding areas severely affected by the disaster and unlikely voters.
This battleground state is one of the few states that will determine the outcome of the US election on November 5th.
A Reuters journalist crossed hundreds of miles in western counties of North Carolina within four days, interviewing about thirty political officials, voters, candidates, and activists to discuss better ways to mobilize voters after at least 96 deaths caused by Hurricane “Helene.”
The state chairman of the Republican Party, Jason Simmons, said, “You think we’re joking about using mules? To reach voters, you have to take advantage of all kinds of traditional and non-traditional means.”
Early voting statistics in North Carolina indicate that voters understand the state’s pivotal role in the election. Last week, North Carolina set a record with 353,166 early voting ballots cast on the first day, 1.3% higher than the highest record in 2020.
Data released on Wednesday, October 23, showed that currently 34.5% of the votes went to the Democratic Party, 33.9% went to the Republican Party, compared to 43.7% for the Democrats and 27.5% for the Republicans during the same period in 2020.
According to data from the polling organization FiveThirtyEight, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are in a virtual tie in the state, with Trump at 48.1% support and Harris at 47.3%.
Republicans say they believe the current government’s response to Hurricane “Helene” (lackluster) has garnered more support for the party.
Simmons stated, “People see that the federal government’s response can be described as mediocre at best, which would only deepen the public’s disappointment in Washington,” “Their motive hasn’t changed; it’s only been magnified.”
Simmons emphasized that the primary task in contacting voters in disaster-affected counties is to ensure their safety first and then to ensure they have plans to vote.
By Sunday, the Biden administration had approved over $3 billion in aid to North Carolina, including $118 million in personal assistance to more than 87,600 households and $189 million for debris cleanup and other emergency work. Currently, over 1,500 federal personnel have been deployed to the disaster area to assist with recovery efforts.
In all hurricane-affected zones in the southeast and Appalachia, the Biden administration has approved nearly $20 billion for post-disaster reconstruction aid.
While some state officials, including some Republicans, have praised the federal government’s cleanup efforts, criticism of the Biden-Harris Democratic administration continues to increase, particularly regarding the amount and speed of aid distribution.
Denying some misinformation, some Democrats believe that certain false information is being spread by Trump and his supporters.
Trump has repeatedly accused Biden and Harris of using federal emergency funds to build housing for illegal immigrants, a claim the White House has denied.
Kathie Kline, the Democratic Party chair of Buncombe County, including Asheville, said, “If Harris loses, it may well be related to the rumors in Buncombe County.”
Nationally, Harris’ campaign has been focused on winning support from Republican voters, but due to concerns about misinformation, Democrats in Buncombe County have altered their strategy.
Kline said, “Our original goal was to win over many or some Republicans we thought we could convince, but now, she (referring to Harris) refuses to send people to knock on Republican voters’ doors” because “We don’t know how unstable their sentiments might be.”
Democrats had long been confident about winning North Carolina, but the trend has shifted in recent years. Former President Barack Obama was the last Democrat to win the state in 2008, narrowly defeating with 49.7% to 49.4% support.
Once, Kline drove around a jurisdiction to determine which areas they should not campaign in (due to severe damage) and showed volunteers a color-coded (support) map.
Kline analyzed, “If we don’t campaign and Harris loses, that could be our fault; if we lobby and make people uncomfortable for knocking on doors, then we will lose either way.”
Lindsey Prather, a Democratic state representative in the Asheville area, seeking reelection, recently resumed sending election information to supporters instead of sending hurricane-related messages.
Democratic activists in Buncombe County reduced phone canvassing and increased radio ads, while Republican activists in Buncombe County formed an 11-member team making at least 220 phone calls daily.
However, the progressive voter outreach organization “Indivisible Asheville/WNC” continues to distribute election information at hurricane relief supply distribution centers and relies on local community members to help neighbors in need get to polling stations.
Although the first day of voting saw record numbers, the overall voter turnout remains uncertain. Prather believes, “This hurricane changed everything.”
(This article was based on reports from Reuters)