Battleground North Carolina sees strong early voting, despite obstacles created by Helene

Associated Press

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — 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 last month. More than 400 locations in all 100 counties opened Thursday for the 17-day early voting period. Nearly all of the sites planned for the 25 western counties hardest hit by the storm also were open. Close to two-thirds of all ballots for the November 2020 election were cast early. Traditional absentee balloting began a few weeks ago.