North Carolina Reports Record Early Voter Turnout, But Hurricane Helene’s Impact May Linger At Polls

North Carolina set a record for the first day of early voting, but the impact from Hurricane Helene may still depress turnout across the state, The New York Times reported Saturday.

More than 353,000 ballots were cast across the state Thursday, less than a month after Hurricane Helene devastated the western part of the state in September, according to The New York Times. An expert in North Carolina politics warned against celebrating the record turnout too soon, adding that voter participation is likely still depressed in the towns hit hardest by the hurricane.

Christopher Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, explained that the early voting numbers shouldn’t be taken as a sign that Helene hasn’t affected turnout, adding that using early voting numbers to predict an election outcome is, “like bringing a fishing pole to a home run derby — it’s just the wrong tool for the job.” Cooper said that Helene’s devastation could affect Democrat turnout in Asheville, North Carolina, which was hit particularly hard by Helene.

“I know that thousands of North Carolinians lost so much in this storm. Their lives will never be the same after this tragedy,” Karen Bell, executive director of the state board of elections, said in a Thursday press conference. “But one thing Helene did not take from western North Carolinians is the right to vote in this important election.”

In the last presidential election, around 33,000 ballots were cast on the first day of early voting in Asheville, according to The New York Times. This election, only 8,200 made it to the ballot box. The devastation caused to vital infrastructure such as roads, mailing services and polling stations have made voting more difficult.

The North Carolina Election Board said that 10 early voting sites in the western parts of the state had sustained damage or had accessibility issues, according to The New York Times.

The previous voter turnout record in North Carolina was set in 2020, when 348,000 ballots were cast on the first day of early voting, The New York Times reported. Former President Donald Trump carried the state by a 1.3% margin in the election.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump are currently neck-and-neck in the state, with Trump holding a 1 point lead according to RealClearPolling averages.

The North Carolina State Elections Board did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.