The vote must go on. Planning elections in a disaster area.

By Lucas Thomae The North Carolina State Board of Elections released the beginnings of a plan Monday to address voting access in the western part of the state following devastation wrought by Tropical Storm Helene. “As rescue and recovery efforts continue after (Tropical Storm) Helene, North Carolina election officials are working to ensure voters affected by the storm can still cast their ballot in the 2024 general election,” the State Board said in a press release Monday evening. North Carolina mailed out the last of its absentee ballots on Sept. 24. In-person early voting begins Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2. Election Day is Nov. 5. The State Board exercised its emergency powers Monday to allow 25 counties in badly affected areas to reschedule their mandatory pre-Election Day absentee ballot meetings. The unanimous decision came Monday afternoon at a special meeting the State Board convened virtually. The 25 counties to which the resolution applies – Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey – are the same that comprise the federally declared disaster area. These weekly public meetings – which were scheduled...