News brief

Early in-person voting begins in North Carolina. Residents in the presidential battleground state of North Carolina are heading to the polls. More than 400 locations in all 100 counties were expected to open on Oct. 17 morning for the 17-day early voting period. This includes the mountains, where some potential voters still lack power and clean running water after Hurricane Helene’s epic flooding last month. Nearly all of the sites originally planned for the 25 western counties hardest hit by the storm also will be open. Close to two-thirds of all ballots for the November 2020 election were cast early. Traditional absentee balloting began a few weeks ago.

When hurricanes hit near an election, it’s known to reduce voter turnout. But election officials in North Carolina and Georgia are racing to address the challenge. In one county, ballots might be cast in tents.