CAMDEN COUNTY, N.C. — On Tuesday, elections officials in North Carolina reaffirmed voter confidence that impacts from Hurricane Helene will not disrupt North Carolinians' ability to vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
"I’ve been overwhelmed, but not surprised, by the offers of help from county boards of elections in parts of the state not affected by the storm to help their colleagues in western North Carolina. And I know that support will continue," State Board of Elections Director Karen Bell told media Tuesday.
Currently, there are 12 elections offices in Western North Carolina that are temporarily closed, as well as one that is open without internet abilities. There are 25 counties designated by FEMA as a "disaster area" as well.
Bell answered questions about potential absentee ballot complications from Helene's impact, centering around the fact that accommodations can now be made for voters who are impacted by the storm's wrath, such as requesting new absentee ballots to new mailing addresses if they're unable to access their permanent place of residence.
“Our system will know that someone requested an absentee ballot and been provided, no matter if we need to spoil that first one and we need to send them an additional one. Our system will know that," Bell said.
The SBE is also deploying special emergency kits to a handful of counties so they can continue to work, despite having internet and phone service issues.
Impacts locally to elections offices
In Northeastern North Carolina's Camden County, Elaine Best joked that she's a staff of one and a half.
Since Helene made landfall, she's gotten at least one call from a county voter drawing attention to the fact that they haven't received their absentee mail ballot, while they are residing in Florida this time of the year.
"She knows the postal service down there is trying to-regroup, we don’t know if the ballot is sitting in the post office waiting to be delivered," Best said.
Similarly to the state, Best said they're prepared to re-send ballots in the event Hurricane Helene disrupted a voters reception of their requested ballot.
Additionally, elections staff may be added to counties in need of extra support following the storm, pulling from other counties that have not been physically impacted. Best said this happened several years ago to neighboring Currituck County, when elections workers were dispatched from the western part of the state to aid the county.
Best said it's too early to tell if Camden would be asked for this support.
"They’re not far along in knowing what they need. The state has some extra staff they can send," she explained.