News release from the N.C Board of Elections:
Prepared remarks from Karen Brinson Bell, N.C. Board of Elections delivered Tuesday, Oct. 1:
We are taking this situation one step at a time, and this will be an ongoing process between now and Election Day. We do not have all the answers at this time, but we are diligently working to figure them out.
First, I want to remind you that you can get information on voting during Helene at NCSBE.gov/Helene, a webpage we set up yesterday for this purpose.
Second, our top priorities are to ensure the safety of our county boards of elections and poll workers, and to ensure every eligible voter who wants to cast a ballot in this election can do so.
Third, as of this morning, 12 of our county election offices in Western North Carolina remain closed. We are focused right now on getting those offices back up and running so that new absentee ballot requests can be processed, and voter registrations can be entered into the system. The voter registration deadline, remember, is October 11.
Fourth, as we mentioned yesterday, we are deploying special emergency kits, “election offices in a box,” as we call them, to 3 or 4 counties so they can continue to work, despite having internet and phone service issues.
Fifth, as the county offices get back up and running, they will begin to assess early voting sites and Election Day polling places to see the extent of the damage and which facilities won’t be available.
We have been and continue to be in regular contact with our state and federal partners, as well as the U.S. Postal Service, to monitor where we are with road accessibility and mail delivery. We understand that some roads are starting to open back up, which, of course, is a positive sign.
We are also in contact with our voting systems and ballot printing vendors, and they stand ready to assist as needed if any issues arise.
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