Voter Registration Deadline Approaching for 2024 General Election

Eligible individuals who want to cast their ballot by mail or on Election Day, November 5, must register to vote by 5 p.m. Friday, October 11.
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https://www.ncsbe.gov/news/press-releases/2024/10/04/voter-registration-deadline-approaching-2024-general-election

Voters Affected by Helene

Find information for North Carolina voters in the Helene disaster area during the 2024 general election. Continue reading, or click the links below to jump to specific parts of this page.

https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election/helene-recovery-and-voting

Map showing the FEMA designated disaster areas in Western North Carolina as described in the list.

Designated disaster areas in Western North Carolina (Source: FEMA)
Alexander
Alleghany
Ashe
Avery
Buncombe
Burke
Caldwell
Catawba
Cherokee (Tribal Area)
Clay
Cleveland
Gaston
Graham (Tribal Area)
Haywood
Henderson
Jackson
Lincoln
Macon
Madison
McDowell
Mitchell
Polk
Rutherford
Swain (Tribal Area)
Transylvania
Watauga
Wilkes
Yancey

County Boards of Elections Office Closures

North Carolina county boards of elections offices in the FEMA designated disaster area are open and operational, except for the following list. We are keeping track of their closure, phone, and internet status and will update the information routinely until all offices are open and fully operational.

Avery: Closed (Elections staff are working.)

Buncombe: Closed (Elections staff are working.)

Mitchell: Closed

Watauga: Closed (Elections staff are taking calls (828-265-8061) and can meet by appointment. Office to open Monday, Oct. 5.)

Yancey: Closed

Last update: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

Watauga County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, October 3, 2024
Patrick Gannon, Public Information Director

Watauga County Board of Elections: Despite Hurricane, November Election Will Go On

Note: The State Board of Elections is sending out this press release on behalf of the Watauga County Board of Elections. We are grateful to the Watauga County Board and staff for their continued hard work to serve voters during this disaster.

Boone, N.C. -- Despite the hardship that Hurricane Helene has brought to our community and Western North Carolina, the Watauga County Board of Elections is hard at work preparing for the November 5, 2024 general election. Though the hurricane has caused significant disruptions, our election staff and the bipartisan Board are determined to ensure that every eligible Watauga County voter can vote in this cycle.

The Board’s motto is: “adapt and overcome.”

To reassure our community that elections officials are hard at work preparing for the election and are diligently handling hurricane-related challenges, the Board wishes to bring the following developments to the public’s attention:

Since Monday, September 30, election staff have been back in the Board’s office in the Watauga County courthouse on King Street. Staff are taking calls (828-265-8061) and can meet by appointment.

Election staff are in regular contact with the N.C. State Board of Elections, county management, and representatives in the General Assembly, and are coordinating with local agencies.

Election staff have evaluated tabulators and laptop computers used for elections and determined that they have not been damaged. Security of all election facilities and equipment has been maintained.

Despite internet and cell phone outages, election staff have established a secure connection to the state information system, allowing staff to process registrations and requests for absentee ballots.

Election staff and the Board are assessing the viability and availability of voting sites, as well as the availability of election officials.

Election staff have received absentee ballots and mailed out absentee ballots. They have also received and sent out electronic ballots to military and overseas voters.

Consistent with state law, the Board will meet on Thursday, October 3, to begin approving “absentee by mail” ballots. The Board will continue to hold regular meetings for this purpose through Election Day.

Beginning the week of October 8, election staff will begin training election officials.

The Board is grateful for the dedication of our election officials, who have made clear that they are available and ready to work.

The Board encourages the public to monitor developments at its website.
http://wataugacounty.org/App_pages/Dept/BOE/home.aspx
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https://www.ncsbe.gov/news/press-releases/2024/10/03/watauga-county-board-elections-despite-hurricane-november-election-will-go

By the Numbers
Here is registered voter and absentee ballot data through Oct. 3, 2024, from North Carolina’s 25 counties in the designated Helene disaster area:

Total registered voters (25 disaster counties): 1,275,054
Breakdown by party:
Constitution Party: 49
Democratic Party: 292,836
Green Party: 552
Justice for All Party: 27
Libertarian Party: 8,403
No Labels Party: 2,823
Republican Party: 480,097
Unaffiliated: 490,140
We the People Party: 127
Absentee ballots sent: 40,906
Absentee ballots returned: 1,952
Absentee ballots outstanding: 38,954
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https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election/helene-recovery-and-voting