Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the Southeast just as voters were preparing for the upcoming election, especially in crucial battleground states like North Carolina and Georgia. With absentee ballot applications rolling in and registration deadlines looming, election officials have been scrambling to mitigate the damage caused by widespread power outages, flooding, and destruction. In North Carolina, nine county election offices in the western part of the state remain closed as of early October due to the storm’s devastating impact, making it a race against time for election authorities to ensure every voter’s access to the ballot box.
Officials across the region have been working around the clock to assess the extent of the damage and develop solutions to keep the election on track. North Carolina’s State Board of Elections Director, Kristen Bell, reassured voters that while there may be challenges, the election will proceed. Early in-person voting is still set to begin on October 17, but the way voting is conducted may be slightly adjusted to accommodate those affected by the hurricane. Meanwhile, in Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger echoed similar sentiments, stating that early voting will kick off as planned on October 15, although some voting locations may need to be relocated in the most heavily impacted areas.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has already taken steps to ensure displaced voters have flexibility. He has allowed election supervisors in the hardest-hit counties to change voting locations and loosened certain vote-by-mail ballot rules to assist those who have been forced to leave their homes. Florida’s approach is similar to how it handled voting after Hurricane Ian, with a focus on making sure the election proceeds without interruption despite the devastation caused by Helene.
South Carolina is also dealing with its share of storm-related challenges. The voter registration deadline was extended to October 14 following a court order, and election officials are now working to determine which voting centers may need to be consolidated or relocated. Voters in the worst-affected counties will have the option to request vote-by-mail ballots if they’ve been displaced. DeSantis reassured voters that, much like in previous elections, this one would go on, and the state is doing everything possible to keep the election infrastructure intact.
State and local officials are constantly assessing the situation and providing updates to voters. For those in areas where early voting locations need to be moved, officials are using radio, TV, and social media to spread the word. Special emergency kits, called “election offices in a box,” have been deployed to help those county offices without phone or internet access. The hope is that all polling locations will be ready for the October 17 early voting start, but as of now, the situation is fluid. Election officials are still evaluating which facilities are usable given road closures, downed trees, and other storm-related obstacles. Despite the uncertainty, the goal remains to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate.
