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The devastating effects of Hurricane Helene will be felt for years, but what happens when natural disasters strike so close to national elections?

The North Carolina State Board of Elections unanimously passed voting modifications on Monday after the hurricane destroyed roads and homes, and displaced residents. The board assured concerned residents that they are committed to facilitating on-schedule early voting and Election Day voting, while at the same time making sure “no one is denied the right to vote because of these logistical problems” created by Helene.

“I’m generally very hesitant to make changes to the normal running of our election. But these have been tailored to give flexibility to the county boards to meet those specific needs,” said Republican member Stacy Eggers IV.

These changes will give voters easier access to absentee ballots and will extend the deadline for voters to turn in absentee ballots to 7:30 pm on Election Day to polling locations operated by the election board. County boards will be allowed to modify “early voting hours and schedules if a bipartisan vote is obtained. They will be able to move polling sites as necessary and even move them into other counties if necessary,” NBC News reports.

Some of the sites that were going to be used for voting purposes have been turned into temporary shelters. Others were damaged by the storm, or rendered inaccessible due to damaged roads.

The changes also allow for ballots to be dropped off at any polling site a voter can access, and Fox News reports that teams will be dispatched to storm shelters to help voters register and collect ballots. If a bipartisan vote is reached, counties can utilize election workers from outside their own county, but these people must be registered to vote in North Carolina to be eligible.

Critics of this plan have voiced their concerns:

Sierra Marlee
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