Although the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina caused devastation on homes and families, Democrats continue to block the acceptance of urgent early voting sites in the region that are overwhelmingly Democrat. The unwillingness to work forced the GOP-led state government to act.
Despite growing calls for more exposure to voting, Democrat-run regional elections board in McDowell and Henderson regions have failed to endorse more early voting locations in the disaster-stricken area. In 2020, both districts cast ballots for Donald Trump.
According to The Carolina Journal, “ensuring the right to vote is upheld for northern NC people devastated by Hurricane Helene should be a non-partisan issue,” said western North Carolina local Clay McCreary. Restoration of America, a group that has been fighting for more electoral prospects in the disaster area, is represented by McReary as the social chairman of North Carolina. ” We just don’t allow the people of western North Carolina, who have lost so much to the social process,” they said.
However, Democrats in local deep-blue Buncombe County, house to Asheville, have now given the go-ahead for new election places to replace the ones damaged by Helene, bringing the state’s overall to 10.
Western North Carolina’s destruction is also severe and the region has not yet recovered despite being largely out of the information cycle.
In order to prevent the persons affected by Helene from being disenfranchised by the Democrats in power, politicians in the Republican-controlled General Assembly are now being forced to convince the two regions to open up more election areas.
The new legislation does require counties to start one early voting page per 30, 000 registered voters in the Helene-affected place, and must be operating from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3. Henderson represents eastern North Carolina’s second-largest community next to Buncombe.
Right then, Buncombe maintains one early voting site per 28, 000, whereas Henderson simply has a second election area for 120, 000 people. Henderson would normally include three sites, but the regulations then requires the state to start three more, bringing the total number of early ballot locations to four. Although a second site was approved by the Henderson County Board of Elections, it will only be available for two times in late October.
Democratic state representative Jennifer Balkcom, who represents Henderson, reported hearing from both Republican and Democratic constituents in her area who are concerned about the lack of election locations.
McDowell is home to 45, 000 and moreover only has one site. The region will be required to open at least one extra location by the legislation. After state Republican Party Chairman Chet Effler requested the addition of an extra early voting location at Old Fort Depot, the state elections board immediately declined to place a second page.
” With the]Old Fort Depot ] site closed, it’s now a 13-mile drive to the next voting site, not counting the hindrances people face from the flooding in their area”, he added. ” That may not seem like a long way, but it is when you’ve lost everything, and you’re trying to put your life back together”.
According to The McDowell News,” McDowell Technical Community College officials offered the use of the Universal Advanced Manufacturing Center as a second early voting location.” However, a Democratic board member, Kay House, pointed out that the location has not previously been used for voting and that the election staff’s disruption could cause issues. However, that building will be used as the location of the Election Day precinct, and all board members voted to add a second location at Old Fort Depot after the General Assembly passed the legislation mandating it.
Even the Democratic-run State Board of Elections and state legislature have made it simple for local boards to open them in emergencies, making the approval of new voting locations in the disaster area seem inexplicable. The Federalist contacted the state board for comment, but the state board did not respond.
Democrats ‘ playing with the ability of voters so close to the election and in Republican-heavy districts gives cred even more to the notion that state and federal Democrats have slowed down relief efforts in order to thwart the vote.
According to The Federalist, the counties that were included in the Helene emergency declaration generated a net 247, 217 votes for Trump in 2020. Trump only won the state by about 75, 000 votes.
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Breccan F. Thies is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. He previously covered issues of culture and education for Breitbart News and the Washington Examiner. He is a Publius Fellow at the 2022 Claremont Institute and holds a degree from the University of Virginia. You can follow him on X: @BreccanFThies.