Western NC voter turnout is 'heartwarming,' where some polling sites moved to tents

Election Day on Tuesday looked different for some voters in western North Carolina.

2024-11-04

Four polling sites in Yancey County, one of 25 counties impacted by Hurricane Helene, were operating out of tents -- rain or shine.

Yancey County resident and first-time voter Rebekah Hensley was one of hundreds who voted at a tent site.

"At first I didn't really think it was that important, but then I realized that other countries don't have that right, and we really need to exercise our right to choose our president, and not even our president, but our local officials," Hensley said.

The tents did not drive western N.C. voters away on Election Day or during the early voting period.

In the western portion of the state, nearly 59% of registered voters voted before Election Day or by absentee ballot -- that's higher than the statewide turnout of 57% of registered voters who voted before Election Day.

"We had wonderful turnout for early voting," Corinne Duncan, Buncombe County's elections director, said Monday. "In Buncombe County alone, we had 116,000 registered voters turn out. We're the biggest county in western North Carolina, but there was big turnout all across the mountains. We are very happy that, despite things being very difficult for people, they are prioritizing voting."

Buncombe County continued to set records on Election Day, with a voter turnout topping 21,000 people as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Duncan said that number is bigger than it was at 2:30 p.m. on Election Day in 2020.

"I'm hoping that doubles today," Duncan said on Tuesday. "We need about 50,000 voters today to reach the record total turnout of 2020, and for Buncombe, that was 78%."

The voter turnout is impressive, especially because Hurricane Helene damaged roads, knocked out power and forced hundreds from their homes in 25 counties in western N.C. just days before early voting began. The State Board of Elections (NCSBE) designated “special circumstances” for those counties and made accommodations to make it easier for people there to vote.

Duncan said election workers in Helene-hit areas worked overtime to get ready after damage from the storm, which wiped out infrastructure, roads and internet service.

On Monday, Duncan cited the "countless hours put in by staff while suffering the hurricane alongside you to make sure this day provides convenience and lawful voting."

According to Duncan, Buncombe County's elections officials had to send out new absentee ballots after people lost their homes. They also had to come up with new plans for early voting and Election Day.

As a result, only 17 out of Buncombe County's 80 polling places had to be altered due to Helene.

"That was really challenging because we had communication problems," Duncan said. "We have 80 precincts in Buncombe County. At first I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I hope we have at least half the precincts available to us.' So I was really happy to find out that's it was only 17."

Polling places had to be moved for a variety of reasons -- some were being used for emergency relief sites, and others were too badly damaged to use.

Duncan said 20% of voters had their polling place change due to Helene, and they received cards in the mail to inform them of the switch.

Polls open Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. If someone shows up at their old location on Tuesday, Duncan said a sign will inform them of their new location.

Duncan called the turnout for early voting "exciting" and "heartwarming."

"Wanting to reestablish some normalcy is important for people, and voting is something that the entire country does together," she said. "I think people are yearning for that and doing it. This area was very hard hit ... so to see people coming out is wonderful, and I think that's going to continue to Election Day."

Susan Bean, who works for Buncombe County election services, will serve as chief judge for this election.

"A chief judge makes sure everything is going according to plan, things are smooth, people have what they need," Bean explained. "We have all sorts of backup support from election services staff should we need to call them, but on site, chief judge is sort of in charge."

Bean said, despite Helene, early voting ran smoothly.

"Everything for the election thus far that I've experienced has been smooth and normal," Bean said.

She also remarked on her decision to serve as chief judge.

"It's nice in the midst of so much chaos of a natural disaster like this to be able to be helpful in a way that, for me, is familiar," Bean said. "It's almost routine. That is sort of a stabilizing and grounding way to do something good for the community."

At this point, it is too late to mail in an absentee ballot. Voters can either throw their ballot away and vote in person or drop it off at their county's Board of Elections office by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Voters in the 25 affected counties can return mail-in ballots to any county board of elections office in the state or to the State Board of Elections in Raleigh.

In Buncombe County, 17 polling locations were changed due to Helene:

• Skyland Fire Department changed to Skyland First Baptist Church because fire department services were needed there
• Crossroads Assembly changed to Lucy S. Herring Elementary School due to flood damage
• Beaverdam Fire Department changed to St. Eugene Catholic Church due to flood damage
• Black Mountain Primary School changed to Black Mountain Library
• Lakeview Center and Black Mt Montessori School changed to St. James Episcopal Church due to flood damage
• First Baptist Church changed to Ridgecrest Conference Center because it was used as a disaster relief hub
• Garren Creek Fire Department changed to a temporary location at 1722 N.C. 9 Hwy, Black Mountain
• Spring Mountain Community Center changed to Fairview Library because it was used as a disaster relief hub
• French Broad Volunteer Fire Department changed to Alexander Baptist Church
• Pole Creek Baptist Church changed to Liberty Baptist Church
• Emma's Grove Baptist Church changed to Trinity of Fairview due to flood damage
• Reynolds Fire Department changed to Reynolds Middle School
• Abiding Savior Lutheran Church changed to Fairview Community Center due to flood damage
• Riceville Community Center changed to Warren Wilson College due to flood damage
• First Baptist of Swannanoa changed to Artspace Charter School
• Bee Tree Fire Department changed to Warren Wilson College

On Monday, Karen Brinson Bell, director of the NCSBE, warned people that intimidating voters is a crime and asked everyone to be respectful on Election Day. In western N.C., Bean echoed her plea.

"Come in with grace and patience," Bean said. "I feel like with this disaster so much has been chaotic, and people are already stressed. We don't have potable water in the city for instance. It's just an extra strain on everyone's personal lives."

Voters can learn more about voting, including the photo ID requirement, viewing a sample ballot and finding their polling place by checking out WRAL's 2024 Voter Guide.