The storm-impacted area in North Carolina is predominantly Republican, according to the state election board. Officials in the state have raised concerns about the impact of Hurricane Helene on voting in key battleground areas. Infrastructure damage in western North Carolina, particularly in the Appalachian Mountain regions, has raised concerns about accessibility to polling places.
As a result of the storm, several county boards of elections, including Avery, Buncombe, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey counties, were closed. The state election board website indicates that a significant number of registered voters in the affected counties are Republicans, with a smaller number registered as Democrats. Additionally, there are a substantial number of unaffiliated voters in these disaster zones, along with a smaller number registered with third parties.
The voter registration deadline for the upcoming election in North Carolina is Oct. 11, with early voting scheduled to begin on Oct. 17. The state allows for in-person voter registration during the early voting period. Mail-in voters must ensure that their completed registration applications are received by the county board of elections at least 20 days before the election. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 29, with the deadline for returning the ballot set for Election Day.
Despite the challenges posed by the storm, North Carolina is expected to be a closely contested swing state in the 2024 election. Recent polls show a tight race between the Republican and Democratic candidates, with both making multiple campaign stops in the state. Federal officials and the National Guard have been deployed to assist with the response to Hurricane Helene, with thousands of personnel providing support to the affected areas.
The state election director emphasized the resilience of the state’s election system in the face of natural disasters, expressing confidence in the ability to conduct safe and secure elections. The federal response to the storm has been significant, with thousands of personnel dedicated to assisting the impacted communities in North Carolina. Please rewrite this sentence.
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