BLACK MOUNTAIN — Chief Judge Pamela Norton’s phone alarm went off around 2 p.m. Friday afternoon. Quickly, she walked outside of Black Mountain Branch Library to count the number of people waiting in line to vote. Norton said she does this every 15 minutes to keep the Buncombe County website updated for early voters checking line lengths before choosing an early voting site.
Thursday, Norton’s counts were a bit higher than usual, she told Carolina Public Press.
“I’ve done this job for 12 years, and yesterday was an unprecedented day,” she said. “We have never opened the first day of early voting with 50 plus people in line waiting to vote, and that’s what we had yesterday.”
Friday wasn’t much different. Mid-afternoon, about 40 people stood in line. After her count, a poll worker approached Norton to discuss potentially relocating staff cars. While parking isn’t typically an issue, Norton said the lines have made it so.
According to North Carolina Board of Elections data, 13,355 people voted in Buncombe County during the first two days of early voting.
Statewide, the first day of early voting broke the previous record set in 2020 for most ballots cast — 353,166 votes.
With 15 days of early voting remaining, it’s unclear whether Buncombe County will maintain the momentum to reach its 2020 early voting total — 106,072.
But Norton is optimistic about the turnout, even after Tropical Storm Helene caused catastrophic flooding in Buncombe County and the broader Western North Carolina region.
“That our numbers have been what they’ve been, people are getting out and they’re voting,” she said. “They’re not going to let Helene dictate to them what they can and can’t do. And I think that’s the resiliency of mountain people.”
In five counties impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, early voting was off to a promising start other the weekend. Western North Carolina residents showed their commitment to voting by setting several local records, despite the difficult ongoing recovery from the storm.
In a close presidential election in which North Carolina could play a pivotal role, many voters were determined to make their choices known.
Buncombe County voters
For many impacted by Helene, voting will take more effort this year. But that hasn’t stopped Buncombe County voters, Norton said. Voters have told her that they’ve lost their homes, but they still want to exercise their right to vote.
“People are ready to start doing something that’s normal,” Norton said. “‘Say, ‘I’m still here. I made it through the disaster.’ I’ve heard a lot of people say that this is an important election, and it’s too important to not vote.”
Troy Barnes’ basement flooded, and he lost his only tree. His home got power and water back a few days ago. But he said one of the most important things Americans do is vote, so he made his way to Black Mountain Branch Library Friday to do so.
Cindy Sams, a Henderson County resident made sure to vote there the first day of early voting, but dropped her cousin off at the Black Mountain library to ensure he did as well. The election has to run smoothly in Western North Carolina, lest former president Donald Trump “blame North Carolina for all the votes that he don’t have,” Sams said.
About 20 minutes down the road, Buncombe County residents Susie Dudman and Lori Pearce made their way to their third early-voting polling site.
The pair had been out on a walk, trying to “get some normalcy in our life,” when they decided to take advantage of early voting, Dudman said.
First, they went to a polling place in North Asheville, which was closed. The second place’s line was too long. So Friday afternoon, they found themselves at Fairview Branch Library for what would be their third, and this time successful, voting attempt.
Dudman wasn’t frustrated by the extra effort, which was the least of her concerns after recent struggles to find necessities like gas and water, she said.
“I think a lot of people have down time after Helene,” said Eric McAbee, another voter.
For many, school and work is paused. For McAbee, that’s paired with a greater interest in local elections after witnessing the initial disaster response.
“A lot of people were pretty unhappy with the way things were handled, so it might not be so good for incumbents,” he said. “… I think people are invested in what goes on, and then when something like this happens, I think it might get that civic involvement even higher.”
Republican and Democratic Party representatives were stationed at the polls to hand out voter guides and sample ballots. Lines were longer than they’d seen before, sometimes exceeding an hour, they said.
“People care about our country, people care about who’s going to be doing the directing, and I think a lot of people are standing very strongly for their particular belief,” Buncombe Republican representative Eileen Bowsman said.
But while people seem excited to get out, Buncombe Democrats representative Ellen Starkman said not everyone may be able to leave their homes.
Starkman, also a Red Cross volunteer, said hard-hit communities are located all over, including Barnardsville, an unincorporated community in northern Buncombe County.
She described people who “are still barely getting out of their yards, or … living under a tarp. They won’t leave their homes. I don’t know how they’re going to vote. I think there’s going to be some difficulties.”
Buncombe County, home to Asheville, is the largest county in Western North Carolina and also had the largest loss of life from the storm, with 42 deaths according to the Office of the State Medical Examiner.
Tropical Storm Helene dropped six trees on Angela Ballard’s house. She lost power for 12 days, portions of her home are destroyed and she is currently dealing with insurance.
While Ballard has other problems, her civic duty to vote was ingrained in her by her family since she turned 18. The stakes are higher this time, she said, so she came to vote early to make sure she was able to cast a ballot.
“I’m so pleased with the turnout, so pleased to have everybody come together to make sure that this is done as easily as possible,” Ballard said. “No matter which party you support, we can support each other’s right to vote, and that’s what’s most important.”
But as a health nurse manager, Ballard knows many people who have relocated to other North Carolina cities, and in some cases, other states. She’s concerned about those people, as well as some of the more rural communities where it may be harder to access information.
Haywood County voters
The flooding from Tropical Storm Helene washed out Ben Hill’s road. With asphalt crumbling to the side, the only way to access his home was by crossing a creek, so he drove up to Washington, D.C., to couch surf with friends.
Saturday, he drove back down to Haywood County just to vote.
“It feels like a big deal,” Hill said. “I’m definitely on the Democratic side. I wanted Kamala (Harris), and the first female president is a big deal for me. That representation was important. I have a lot of friends who are in the diversity crowd. It was very important to show up and make sure that I did my part.”
Steve and Lynn also came to vote together at the Haywood County Public Library branch in Canton.
“I know there’s some that have lost everything,” Steve said. “It might be more difficult for them, but I think for the most part, people are going to say we’re going to take time to vote regardless.”
Canton chief precinct judge Deborah Reed said 786 people voted at the library on the first day of early voting, about triple the normal amount. In broader Haywood County, 5,018 people voted in the first two days.
Canton is “destroyed,” after getting 25 to 30 feet of flood water, Reed said. Many lost homes and livelihoods. Official records indicate five Haywood County residents lost their lives as result of the storm.
She personally lost two vehicles and is borrowing a church friend’s car for the time being. But people are very civic-minded in Canton, Reed said.
“People are just anxious to get out and make their vote count, and I’m glad that they can come and be here,” she said. ”The flood does not seem to have stopped anyone from being able to come and vote.”
Madison County
Late Friday afternoon, David Pedler weaved along curvy Mars Hill roads on his bike. When he arrived at Beech Glen Community Center, he stopped.
After resting his bicycle on the Madison County Democratic Party table, Pedler walked inside to vote.
Pedler, 76, sported a massive bruise on his right arm from cutting downed trees across his property. The doctor said it might be a torn rotator cuff, he said.
Initially, he said he was concerned about everyone having the opportunity to vote after Helene, and asked to volunteer at the Beech Glen polling site. But he was told they had enough workers, and Gov. Roy Cooper’s remarks about recovery made him feel more comfortable.
Twenty minutes after arriving, Pedler biked away, his new “I voted” sticker completing his bright, multi-colored cycling outfit.
Beech Glen chief precinct judge Ruby Payne said turnout was higher than normal. According to State Board data, 1,869 people voted early in Madison County during the first two days. In 2020, 8,774 people voted early throughout the entire election.
“We didn’t know what to expect because so much has changed,” she said. “I guess we were prepared for it, because it went fairly smooth, and we were just amazed all day that it’s turned out that good.”
Payne hasn’t stopped working since the storm hit. Before serving as chief judge, she was bringing hot chili and coats to people in nearby Barnardsville. At 75, working long days isn’t easy, but it’s an honor, she said.
Payne’s neighbor is in her 80s, and her husband passed away this year. She said she planned to call her this week to see if she needs a ride to come vote. In Madison County, neighbors help neighbors, Payne said.
“I think that COVID separated us as human beings,” she said. “Maybe this is God’s way of bringing us back together.”
McDowell County
Voters entering the McDowell County Board of Elections in Marion Saturday afternoon were immediately greeted with dozens upon dozens of campaign signs and volunteers directing parking lot traffic.
As the only early voting site in the county, voters constantly streamed in and out to cast their ballots.
Roxan Wetzel, the Republican elector for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, sat in a grassy area bordering the parking lot to observe.
She said her first hot water bath was Friday, weeks after Helene hit. She wasn’t sure how many people are still missing, and worried that the mail service will be too slow for displaced voters.
But as a representative, she’s traveled the mountains before, and as a church volunteer, she’s helped unpack hundreds of cots and serve thousands of meals in the aftermath, which leads her to believe one thing: “We’re mountain strong.”
It has been hard to reconcile her duty as a party representative and as a neighbor, Wetzel said.
“It’s my job and my mission to make sure we get out the vote and that I give information for voters,” she said. “But to balance that with the sensitivity, it’s been very awkward the last couple of weeks to do it, because our hearts are broken. But they’re not going to stop the election.”
Jane Turner came to vote from Old Fort, a 15 minute drive. She said she’s seen areas fill with flood water, mudslides and trees come down. With the help of her husband and cousin, she had to cut trees out of her road to be able to get in and out. For a week, she had no power.
Turner visits her mother every Saturday in the center of town, so she decided to vote while she was there. She’s not sure everyone will have the same chance.
“I know there’s a lot of people that don’t have any vehicles to get here,” she said.
Deputy elections director Jane Propst said the county has offered voter transportation, and posted flyers about the free service in homeless shelters, post offices, libraries and on social media. Nobody has taken them up on it yet, though.
They’ve also encouraged the political parties to bring people. Saturday afternoon, the McDowell Republican Party obliged, organizing a caravan of voters to the early voting site.
Like several counties in Western North Carolina, McDowell County had a record number of early voters on the first day. The second day exceeded that figure, with a two-day total of 2,726 ballots cast.
“Mountain people will survive,” Propst said.
Yancey County
To get to one small community of about 150 people in part of Yancey County from the county seat in Burnsville, you either have to drive into Tennessee and come back around — over an hour trip — or ford the river.
But those residents still want to vote. Yancey County Elections Director Mary Beth Tipton said they want to run their own election on Election Day, to ensure their community gets that chance.
So far, enough volunteers within that community have come in for precinct worker training to make it happen, she said. Samaritan’s Purse has a tent set up that could be used as a polling place.
In other areas of Yancey County, people are planning to use ATVs to bring people to the polls.
“I can tell you that myself, my deputy director and my board members are going to do everything that lies within our power to reach every voter that wishes to vote,” Tipton said. “We’re not going to let Helene stop us.”
During the first two days of early voting, 1,428 people cast ballots in Yancey County, over a sixth of the 2020 early voting total, with a dozen more days of early voting left. Tipton said Yancey County was one of 16 counties that broke first day records.
Amanda, who declined to share her last name, brought her adult children with her to vote at the Yancey County Board of Elections, the sole early voting site.
Until Friday, Amanda didn’t have any cell service, so she drove out to find out when the voting dates were. She’s worried about people unable to get across destroyed roads to come into town and vote.
“This town (Burnsville) in general is very deep-rooted in their political background, and I think that the way the past has been going, they definitely want to have a say so this time,” she said.
Yancey County has seen one of the largest losses of life per capita as a result of Helene of any county in North Carolina, with an official tally of 11 deaths in a count of about 19,000 people.
The first Monday that the Yancey County Board of Elections re-opened after Helene, Tipton did not want to be there. How was she going to approach people who had lost family members or had nothing but the clothes on their back about voting?
But when the doors opened, the response was huge. Tipton started getting calls from Minnesota, California and Texas from displaced voters wondering what to do.
“It kind of fueled me, it made me feel better, It gave me a purpose,” she said. “Because these people have lost everything, and if there’s one thing that I can give them, I’m going to give them their voice in this election.”
This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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