North Carolina election officials are working to try to ensure that voters affected by the powerful storm can still cast their ballots in the 2024 general election.
The State Board of Elections said Monday that it has been contacting election officials in affected counties to "make sure they are safe, to gather information on damage to election and voting facilities, and to assess potential effects on absentee and in-person voting."
Absentee voting is underway in North Carolina. In-person early voting begins Oct. 17 and ends Nov 2. Election Day is Nov. 5.
"Our hearts go out to all North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene, including our neighbors, friends and colleagues in Western North Carolina," said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. "When disasters strike elections, we use this mantra: 'We do not stop an election; we figure out how to proceed. While we do not know exactly what is ahead, our guiding force between now and Election Day will be to do everything possible to ensure every eligible North Carolina voter can cast their ballot. Natural disasters have affected elections here in the recent past. As we did at those times, we will conduct a safe, secure, and successful election in 2024."
Information for Affected Voters
The NCBOE has launched a special webpage, for voters affected by the hurricane.
Election officials said they will work to provide printed materials to voters in the affected areas who may not have cell phone service or internet access.
Storm victims with questions about voting are asked to contact their county board of elections or the State Board of Elections via email at elections.sboe@ncsbe.gov or by calling (919) 814-0700.
There could be delays in response as many county board offices in the affected counties are unable to reopen until utilities are restored.
The State Board said it will provide special emergency kits to counties without internet service. These kits, basically "election offices in a box," will allow county elections workers to continue election preparations, including registering voters and processing absentee ballot requests until services are restored.
At an emergency meeting on Monday, the NCBOE passed a resolution allowing the 25 counties in the Helene federal disaster area the flexibility to reschedule meetings required by law to consider returned absentee ballots. These meetings were supposed to start Tuesday in all 100 counties.
Absentee Voting Delays
Postal service is suspended at dozens of post offices in western North Carolina. Coupled with the fact that many residential mailboxes were washed away or damaged by Helene, there's likely a significant effect on absentee voting in the area.
Tips and reminders for areas affected by Helene
- A voter who has requested an absentee ballot does not have to vote that ballot. They may simply discard it and vote in person during the in-person early voting period or on Election Day.
- Voters displaced by the storm who plan to live elsewhere temporarily may request an absentee ballot and have it sent to their temporary address. The easiest way to request an absentee ballot is online through the North Carolina Absentee Ballot Portal. A voter who has already requested a ballot but will not be able to receive it at the address where it was set to be delivered should contact their county board of elections to spoil the original ballot and have a new one sent to their temporary location.
What if I Lost My Photo ID?
State law requires voters to show an acceptable form of photo ID when voting in person and to include a photocopy of their photo ID with their ballot when voting by mail.
Most people will show their driver's license, but many other IDs are acceptable.
Under state law, a voter who cannot provide an acceptable form of ID when they vote may fill out a Photo ID Exception Form to explain why they cannot show ID. One of the permitted exceptions is because of a natural disaster that occurred within 100 days of an election and that resulted in a disaster declaration by the president of the United States or the governor of North Carolina. This means that voters in or from the 25 counties under a disaster declaration may use this exception to the photo ID requirement if they are unable to show ID when voting because of the natural disaster.
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NOTE: Video is from a previous report.