Battleground state voting data reveals over 200K votes cast in red counties impacted by hurricane

Voting figures from North Carolina – a pivotal battleground authorities – bespeak that contempt the terrible interaction of Hurricane Helene, much than 200,000 votes person already been formed successful counties that traditionally thin Republican.

Early voting successful North Carolina acceptable a statewide grounds of implicit 350,000 ballots formed connected Oct. 17. 

Over 2.8 cardinal ballots person since been formed successful North Carolina, which represents 36% of the registered voters colonisation successful the state, according to the North Carolina Board of Elections (NCSBE).

Of the ballots cast, 2.5 cardinal were aboriginal votes, portion 151,000 were absentee ballots.

The information represents an summation successful aboriginal voting since the aforesaid clip successful 2016, 8 days earlier the election, which saw 1.6 cardinal ballots cast. However, 2020 saw 3.1 cardinal aboriginal votes during that clip successful the cycle, successful large portion owed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DEMS NEED TO RAMP UP EARLY VOTING EFFORTS TO MATCH GOP MOMENTUM IN NORTH CAROLINA: ANALYST

People hold extracurricular an aboriginal voting tract connected Oct.17, 2024, successful Asheville. Several counties affected by Hurricane Helene saw a ample turnout for the archetypal time of aboriginal voting successful occidental North Carolina.  (Melissa Sue Gerrits)

Data besides shows that 1.42% much Democrats than Republicans person formed their vote, arsenic of Sunday.

After Hurricane Helene made a deadly expanse crossed occidental North Carolina, concerns implicit ballot container entree prompted authorities lawmakers to adjust their voting rules up of aboriginal voting successful the state. 

BALANCE OF POWER: HELENE COULD SHIFT POLITICAL WINDS TOWARD TRUMP, NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS SAY

The NCSBE identified 13 counties arsenic being astir impacted by Hurricane Helene, but Karen Brinson Bell, enforcement manager of the authorities Board of Elections, told reporters connected Friday that the affected areas are seeing "tremendous turnout."

An aerial presumption of destroyed and damaged buildings successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding connected Oct. 8 successful Bat Cave, North Carolina. (Mario Tama)

Since aboriginal voting started, implicit 218,000 person already been formed successful the occidental counties, contempt harm from the disastrous storm.

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To guarantee voting entree for residents successful the affected areas, North Carolina lawmakers passed a measure connected Thursday to necessitate that the 13 counties unfastened 1 aboriginal voting tract per 30,000 individuals.

Those identified successful occidental North Carolina arsenic astir impacted person seen tens of thousands of votes cast, arsenic of Sunday: Ashe [7,541], Avery [3,823], Buncombe [78,645], Haywood [19,079], Henderson [31,158], Madison [6,036], McDowell [11,205], Mitchell [4,224], Polk [7,270], Rutherford [14,873], Transylvania [11,804], Watauga [16,993], and Yancey [5,477].