Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is hoping Hurricane Helene won’t have a damaging impact on next month’s election — as officials work overtime to ensure voters have the ability to cast ballots in the two swing states affected.
“Of course we know there’s an impact on voting behavior, so we’re working constantly to make sure that’s mitigated,” a Trump adviser told The Post about the effects of Helene and Hurricane Milton, which devastated the Southeast. .
Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on September 26, was particularly hard on North Carolina and Georgia – which could decide only thousands or even hundreds of votes on November 5.
“We are in contact with local officials, we also have people who have been gathering intel on everything from road closures to housing conditions, power outages, postal code delivery delays, the impact of road debris,” the adviser added.
Officials in both states said they were taking steps to make the election run smoothly, with the North Carolina State Board of Elections expanding early voting in affected areas and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announcing his office would coordinate with local election officials.
The breakdown may have reduced voter turnout compared to past presidential elections, but the good news is that between early voting and voting, citizens have more options to make their voices heard.
Unlike in past cycles, Republicans and Democrats have encouraged voters to vote either way, but flooding and road closures may mean some ballots are lost while early voters may have trouble getting to the polls. .
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley celebrated the expansion of early voting in parts of North Carolina last week, which the Trump campaign supported.
“North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene cannot be deprived of their right to vote – and that means expanding early voting sites in affected areas,” Whatley wrote in a statement.
“We are pleased to see that the North Carolina State Board of Elections has come around to the Republican-led legislative bipartisan plan to expand voter access to areas affected by the hurricane. We will continue to monitor and monitor the situation, the responsibility of the Board of Elections, defending access vote for hurricane victims, and prepare to sue if council bans expansion of voter access.
While the storm’s effect on the final outcome of the 2024 race is unclear, the Trump campaign is optimistic that anger over the slow pace of the initial federal response to Helene in western North Carolina will push the Republican candidate to vote. 16 Tar Heel State electoral votes.
“People on the ground, especially in western North Carolina, are very angry,” the adviser said, “and they’ve always said that one of the things they’re going to do to deal with that anger is to get out and vote. for President Trump.”
