The U.S. congressman representing one of many areas hit hardest by Helene is elevating considerations in regards to the lethal storm’s affect on voter entry within the area.
“There will likely be some people out there that, for one reason or another, will not be able to exercise their most important constitutional right,” Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., advised Fox Information Digital in an interview Friday.
Edwards is urging his constituents to make plans now, sending out a press launch to residents of his district roughly three weeks earlier than Election Day, asking those that intend to vote to begin determining how they are going to achieve this.
“I’ll also follow up with folks in the area and make offers to help get transportation for those folks that feel like they might not have a normal life or a transportation style to make it to the polls,” Edwards stated.
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Rep. Chuck Edwards spoke with Fox Information Digital in regards to the results of Hurricane Helene in his district two weeks later. (Getty Photographs/Fox Information Digital)
“I’m concerned. But I also have a lot of confidence with the folks in the area to help folks exercise that constitutional right. We just have to start thinking about it now. We can’t wait till the last minute, as too many times we’re accustomed to doing.”
Hurricane Helene tore by the Southeast two weeks in the past, leaving billions of {dollars} of destruction and greater than 230 individuals lifeless throughout a number of states.
Edwards estimated his district alone has seen “about 100 deaths” however famous many had been nonetheless lacking.
“About 9,200 acres of western North Carolina was affected in 28 counties. About 6,000 of that is right here in my district,” he stated.
Along with the devastation to life and property, nonetheless, the storm may have probably extreme ramifications for the election. North Carolina and Georgia, two of the hardest-hit states, emerged as battlegrounds within the 2020 presidential race.
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The city of Chimney Rock in Edwards’ district after flash flooding within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photograph/Mike Stewart)
About 17% of North Carolina’s registered voters are within the counties designated as Helene catastrophe areas, in response to Michael Bitzer, a professor of politics and historical past at Catawba Faculty.
“Folks are still in the process of putting their lives together, desperately trying to get their power back on, trying to get in touch with their loved ones, trying to dig out from the debris and not really thinking that there’s an election coming up here in three weeks or so,” Edwards stated.
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“So, what I’m encouraging everyone to do is to start thinking about that now, to request an absentee ballot if you don’t think you’re going to be able to get to a poll or to plan to vote early.”
The North Carolina state legislature is already transferring to mitigate attainable points.
State lawmakers accredited $5 million in emergency funding for the State Board of Elections to take care of the storm’s results, and so they additionally expanded emergency measures put in place by the election board that enable counties to switch early voting days and areas.
On the federal degree, Edwards stated he would give the federal government’s response a “C-minus.”
Edwards stated President Biden left him a voicemail Friday. (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs)
“This storm was over about 10 a.m. on Friday, and it was into Tuesday before we saw the first boots on the ground from FEMA, before we saw the first helicopters with food and water,” he stated.
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Requested about outreach from U.S. leaders, Edwards stated President Biden known as him earlier on Friday however left a voicemail. He didn’t point out whether or not he’d return the decision.
“It was maybe a 10-second clip going, ‘Attaboy. Keep up the good work. We’re thinking about you,’” Edwards stated.
