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Early voting began in North Carolina just weeks after Hurricane Helen struck, and state lawmakers are optimistic the storm will have little impact on Americans’ access to the ballot box.
Not only that, but two Tar Heel Republican officials told Fox News Digital that they believe former President Donald Trump will ultimately win the state.
“I think we’re going to see some really shocking turnout here,” state Rep. Jake Johnson, a state lawmaker, said Thursday. “People are really stepping up their game during this time, especially those who are dissatisfied with the federal government’s response.”
“We’re very busy right now recovering from the storm, but what was it like the day before Hurricane Helen hit the West? I remember that,” he said. It’s North Carolina. ”
Johnson slams Biden administration’s ‘lack of leadership’ on Helen: ‘Alarmed and disappointed’
Two senators have suggested that former President Trump could win North Carolina despite Herren’s challenge. (Getty Images)
“Families were struggling. Gas prices were skyrocketing. We saw our borders open, seemingly unnoticed or ignored by the Harris and Biden administrations. “We’ve seen significant amounts of fentanyl coming in,” Edwards said.
Helen ravaged the southeastern United States about three weeks ago, killing dozens of people in multiple states.
Northwestern North Carolina was particularly hard hit by the storm and resulting landslides, which appeared to wash away entire areas.
Concerns about voter access after the storm were exacerbated by North Carolina’s status as a battleground state. Trump won the state by less than 2% in 2020, and both his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaigns have poured significant political resources into the state this year.
But in a rare example of bipartisanship, the Republican-led state Legislature is working with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to implement sweeping measures to make it easier for people in affected counties to reach the ballot box by Nov. 5. passed an election countermeasure bill.
Hurricane Helen: North Carolinians fight to survive as essential goods run out
Rep. Chuck Edwards said North Carolina could break early voting records. (Getty Images)
Edwards, who just last week told Fox News Digital that he was concerned about residents not being able to vote, said he now believes “we’re going to see record turnout at polling places.”
The lawmaker personally went to the early voting site early Thursday morning. He spoke to voters and said they were “enthusiastic” and “optimistic.”
“I was really excited to see the turnout. There were two lanes of traffic, people coming to vote on two different highways,” Edwards said. “There was so much energy.”
He suggested this enthusiasm bodes well for President Trump after speaking with voters who are dissatisfied with the state of the country beyond the storm.
North Carolina community ‘searching’ for missing teacher in ‘devastating’ aftermath of Hurricane Helen
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Johnson said it was the stormy recovery that would lead more people to vote for Trump.
He said the “lack of response” seen in some rural areas of North Carolina in the immediate aftermath of the storm could prompt people in those areas to vote Republican.
“If you talk to the public, I think they’ll agree that a lot of this was a top-down failure as far as the federal response,” Johnson said. “I think you’ll be surprised by the high turnout in Western North Carolina.”
Aerial view of destroyed and damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen’s flooding in Batcave, North Carolina, on October 8 (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Both he and Edwards acknowledged that the state’s election laws have made it easier for motivated voters to vote.
Notably, the White House’s response to the storm has also been praised by other Republican officials, including the governors of Virginia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Conservative Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) also gave a rare compliment to President Biden for his handling of the situation.
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North Carolinians broke the state’s first-day early voting record Thursday, raising optimism among officials that the storm will ultimately have little impact on voters.
The state Board of Elections said 353,166 people voted in person, beating the same record set in 2020 by about 4,500 votes, according to the Charlotte News and Observer.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll shows Ms. Harris leading Mr. Trump by just 2 percentage points in North Carolina. The former president led Harris by a similar margin last month.
