'I Can't Wait Until the Last Minute': NC Congressman Raises Alarm on Voter Access in Areas Hard Hit by Helene

A U.S. congressman representing one of the areas hardest hit by Helene expresses concerns about the storm's deadly impact on voter access in the region.

“There will likely be people who, for one reason or another, will not be able to exercise their most important constitutional right,” Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., said in an interview on Fox News Digital on Friday.

Edwards is urging his voters to plan now, sending a press release to residents of his district about three weeks before Election Day asking those who plan to vote to start thinking about how they will do so.

“I will also be contacting residents in the area and making offers to help arrange transportation for those who feel they do not have a normal life or transportation to get to the polls,” Edwards said.

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“I'm concerned. But I also have a lot of confidence in the people in the area to help people exercise this constitutional right. We just have to start thinking about it. We also cannot wait until the last minute, which is often what we are used to.”

Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast two weeks ago, leaving billions of dollars in damage and more than 230 people dead in multiple states.

Edwards estimated that “about 100 people” had died in his district alone, but noted that many were still missing.

“Approximately 9,200 acres of western North Carolina across 28 counties were affected. About 6,000 of them are in my district,” he said.

But beyond the destruction of life and property, the storm could have potentially serious consequences for elections. North Carolina and Georgia, two of the hardest-hit states, have become battlegrounds in the 2020 presidential race.

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About 17% of North Carolina's registered voters live in counties designated as disaster areas, according to data from Helene Michael Bitzer, a professor of politics and history at Catawba College.

“People are still in the process of getting their lives back together, desperately trying to regain power, trying to connect with their loved ones, trying to dig out from under the rubble, and they don't really think that there's an election coming up in about three weeks,” Edwards said.

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“So I encourage everyone to start thinking about it now and apply for an absentee ballot if they don't think they'll be able to get to the polls or plan to vote early.”

The North Carolina state legislature is already working to alleviate any potential problems.

State lawmakers approved $5 million in emergency funding for the State Board of Elections to deal with the storm's impact and also extended emergency measures put in place by the Board of Elections that allow counties to modify early election days and locations.

At the federal level, Edwards said he would give the government's responses a “C-minus.”

Edwards said President Biden left him a voicemail on Friday. (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“That storm ended around 10 a.m. on Friday, and it was Tuesday before we saw the first FEMA boots on the ground, before we saw the first helicopters with food and water,” he said.

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Asked about contact from U.S. leaders, Edwards said President Biden called him earlier on Friday but left a voicemail. He did not indicate whether he would call back.

“It was maybe a 10-second clip called ‘Attaboy. Keep up the good work. We're thinking about you,' Edwards said.