Politics & Government

More North Carolina residents turned out to cast ballots on the first day of early voting this year than in 2020, even as residents from the mountainous western portion of the state continued to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene.

Early in-person voting has started in the presidential battleground state of North Carolina. That includes in the mountains, where some potential voters still lack power and clean running water after Hurricane Helene's epic flooding.

Six candidates – three Republicans and three Democrats – are vying for three seats on the board.

Election officials have limited the hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but expanded dates to include weekends during the early voting period, which ends November 2.

Officials say federal disaster workers have resumed door-to-door visits as part of hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina. The visits were temporarily suspended after reports emerged over the weekend that FEMA employees could be targeted by militia members.

Currently, commissioners live in assigned districts but are elected at large, meaning Watauga voters can choose their commissioners whether they live in the district or not. This year, commissioners will be chosen only by residents in those individual districts under a bill approved last year.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted more than $7 million to residents affected by Helene in Avery, Ashe and Watauga counties.