On Monday, October 7, election officials in North Carolina approved some flexibility in voting rules aimed at making it easier for voters impacted by Hurricane Helen to cast their ballots in the upcoming November 5 election.
These rule changes, endorsed by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, will provide local officials with flexibility to ensure that residents in the state’s western mountain region can vote smoothly, even in cases of road and communication network disruptions.
The changes approved by the five-member board will allow outreach teams in the 13 most severely affected counties to visit disaster shelters and other areas to assist people in their voting process.
These counties will be able to modify the time and location of early voting and adjust staffing plans as needed.
Moreover, the changes will also allow residents to pick up absentee ballots at local election offices on Election Day and return them at any polling place, instead of being limited to specific locations as before.
North Carolina is one of the crucial swing states that could determine whether Republican Trump or Democrat Harris will become the next President of the United States. Polls show a tight competition between the two candidates in the state.
Hurricane Helen has resulted in over 200 deaths across six states, with severe damage particularly in the western mountain areas of North Carolina. Many roads in the region remain impassable, leaving numerous residents isolated from the outside world.
Stacy Eggers IV, a member of the Republican Committee from the western mountain town of Boone hit by the hurricane, said, “We will continue to ensure that voters can cast their ballots, whether it requires four-wheelers, horses, or helicopters.”
Karen Brinson Bell, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, stated that whether through mail-in voting, early voting, or voting on Election Day, their goal is to ensure that voters in all areas of the state have equal access to voting choices.
(Translated and adapted from a report by Reuters)