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North Carolina’s election officials recount how Hurricane Helene tested emergency authorities and partnerships
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Summary
Karen Brinson Bell told the commission how North Carolina prepared for and recovered from Hurricane Helene: 25 counties were disaster-declared, about 1.3 million registered voters were affected, 76 of 80 planned early-voting sites opened, and the state used emergency authority, tents and vendor support to keep voting going.
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, described to the Florida advisory committee on April 8 how Hurricane Helene in late September disrupted Western North Carolina and how the state and counties responded to preserve voting access.
Bell said Helene moved into Western North Carolina on Sept. 26 and struck with major flooding on Sept. 27. She reported that 25 of North Carolina’s 100 counties were declared federal disaster areas and that approximately 1,300,000 registered voters resided in the affected region. In Yancey County some locations recorded roughly 30 inches of rain over a three-day span; river gauges showed dramatic flows, with one monitor measuring 156,000 gallons per second before the worst days, and later readings registering up to 240,000 gallons per second as waters receded.
Despite widespread damage—county polling places and community voting houses were washed away—Bell said election officials prioritized continuity. By Oct. 17, 76 of the planned 80 early-voting sites in the 25-county disaster region were open with power and sufficient workers. Bell described solutions ranging from temporary tents (modified for accessibility and wheelchairs) to alternate routes, mobile "attack response" kits that included satellite services and clean laptops, and sustained coordination with federal partners and vendors. She said vendor ES&S confirmed equipment integrity and provided more than 1,800 meals to election workers on election day.
Bell emphasized the importance of emergency authority at the state level to act quickly: county boards were given flexibility to alter early-voting plans and the state board provided oversight and support as counties requested changes. She added that the legislature later enacted changes—requiring additional early-voting sites in two counties after early voting had already begun—which created operational challenges because some potential sites were damaged or were being used as shelters.
Bell said the episode highlights several lessons for other states: exercise all-hazards planning with emergency management and partners; maintain frequent communication (state–county huddles were held twice weekly during the response); budget for emergency communication and messaging; and invest in field support and training so counties can pivot without losing accessibility or compliance with federal voting laws. "We don't stop elections," Bell said. "We figure out how to proceed."
