Lines were long on first day of early voting in Helene-ravaged Asheville

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Thursday marks the first day of early voting across North Carolina and three weeks since Hurricane Helene first made landfall in Florida before tearing a path of unprecedented destruction across the mountains.

In one of the hardest hit areas in Asheville , people stood in line on the first day of early voting Thursday.

In the Helene disaster area , the state is down four of 80 early voting sites because of storm damage. All the sites have power, but some of them don’t have running water.

Pastor James Grant prayed for this day.

“It’s been a voting site for a long time,” said Grant.

After Helene wrecked his hometown of Asheville, he had faith that the Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, which is named for his father, would be packed on the first day of early voting.

“We were respectfully hoping that we would be blessed to see this day and to stand here and surrender our vote to America,” said Grant.

His prayers were answered.

By midday, the line was long. Dozens of people waited in the small hallway.

The line even spilled outside.

“The Monday after the storm we had knocks on the door wanting to know if the election was going to happen, and we were able to confidently say ‘yes,’” said Corinne Duncan, director of elections for Buncombe County.

State election officials have been working to make sure early voting sites in the disaster areas have internet service, generators and portable restrooms where they’re needed. In places where Helene washed away and destroyed polling places, they plan to put up special, sturdy tents on Election Day so people can vote.

“I fared well, was without power for 10 days and was without water for 13 days,” said Grant.

Just two miles from where Grant cast his ballot Thursday, Biltmore Village was destroyed by the flooding.

“It’s devastating and the loss is tremendous,” said Grant.

Grant says it was especially important in the wake of the hurricane to show up to vote.

“There are a lot of people who would love to have cast their ballot, to vote their conscience,” said Grant. “They were not able to cast their ballot because maybe they lost their homes, maybe they lost their lives.”

The state is working to identify areas where people are completely cut off because of the storm and reach out to voters in those areas.

They say there could be some scenarios where people who are unable to drive have to walk and cast their ballots.

The State Board of Elections has set up the following website specifically for voters affected by Hurricane Helene: https://www.ncsbe.gov/helene

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