AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — Two days before early voting begins in North Carolina, election officials across the state are finalizing plans to ensure every vote is counted. This is especially true in hard-hit western North Carolina where some polling places are rendered unusable after damage from Helene.
The North Carolina Board of Elections assured voters on Tuesday that polling places will be ready by the start of early voting Thursday.
"Western North Carolina will vote," Karen Bell, the executive director of the state's board of elections, said on Tuesday.
In September, Helene knocked out power, washed out roads and left dozens of polling places unusable.
"The vast majority [of polling places] are going to be open and available to the voters in some shape or form," Bell said. "It might require a generator, it might require a porta-potty, but we are getting those sites open."
However in Avery County, only five of the original sites can be used.
“We’re combining a lot of precincts to the one right next door so you don’t have to go far on Election Day," Joseph Trivette, the deputy director of election in Avery County, explained to WCNC Charlotte.
Voters can also come to the board of elections office or vote by mail, Trivette explained.
Avery County leaders say they’ll be using social media, road signs, and fliers to spread the word on voting locations.
Previously, election officials had said voters impacted by Helene will have until 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to turn in absentee ballots to polling places operated by their county elections board. Displaced voters may also turn in ballots to another county's elections board by the same deadline.
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A recently passed resolution also expands opportunities to pick up an absentee ballot in-person from a county elections office until the day before the election.
To address a potential lack of poll workers, counties are authorized to select election officials from other counties who are registered to vote in North Carolina. Assistance teams may also be deployed to emergency relief shelters to help voters with absentee voting.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
WCNC Charlotte will have live election coverage of all the local and statewide elections starting at 7 p.m. on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5 on streaming on WCNC+, and all election results can be found by texting the word ELECTION to 704-329-3600 or going to WCNC Charlotte's election page.