Early voting underway, despite closed polling sites in western NC

As of 8:40 p.m. Thursday, 264,127 ballots were cast during North Carolina’s first day of early in-person voting, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. The final turnout is expected to increase when numbers are finalized Friday morning because not all of the state’s 100 counties have reported in.

Bank of America Stadium is the largest polling location in Mecklenburg County. There are polling locations all across the state where you can vote early, but some of them are shut down because of the destruction from Helene.

[ RELATED: In-person early voting starts Thursday in North Carolina ]

In McDowell County, one of two early voting sites has been taken over by Helene recovery efforts, but that’s not stopping voters. Some people don’t even have utilities but they were still at the polls.

There are still areas in Old Fort without power, water, and sewer, and the damage is extensive. Near the elementary school, residents showed Channel 9′s Dave Faherty how high the water got in their homes 20 days ago.

HELENE COVERAGE IN MCDOWELL COUNTY:

• Another death connected to Tropical Storm Helene reported in NC
• NC plant that makes 60% of country’s IV fluid is closed due to flooding
• 5 rescued from rising Linville River as heavy rain moves in

Scotty Swann is now living in a camper in front of this home after the water from the Catawba River filled much of his first floor. He said he and his girlfriend had to be rescued because of the high water.

“Me and my girlfriend and her son got out on the roof over here and a rescue team came and got us in a canoe,” he said.

Election officials said there was so much damage, they did not open the early voting site in Old Fort. Instead, they asked residents to drive to Marion, where Faherty saw long lines Thursday morning.

In the last presidential election, more than 60% of the 25,000 people who voted in McDowell did so early.

The Old Fort early voting site is now filled with disaster relief supplies and the parking lot has tents for people working from out of town. Election officials said because of the devastation, there was no way they could open it for early voting right now.

“The power, the water, the sewer, all of those issues — no cell service, and no internet,” Kim Welborn said. “That depot is now being used being used as a medical triage and clinic for the community.”

Roann Bishop works at the Gateway Museum in Old Fort. Her office was destroyed by high water but she said she will be voting this year.

“A lot of people say that the mountain people are tough and resilient, and we are,” she said. “But this is going to take a long time to rebuild. I may not do the early voting but I’ll be there on Election Day.”

Scottie Swann, who still doesn’t have power and has watched as neighbors move away, also plans to go to the polls to cast his ballot this year.

“Oh, I’m voting. I’m an American, son,” he said. “I served my time in the Marine Corps and stuff.”

Faherty went to town hall where he was told Old Fort is getting a lot of support from FEMA. He learned 186 homes were damaged and more than a third of them are now unlivable.

If you are planning to vote by mail in North Carolina, some people are getting an unpleasant surprise when they open their ballots. State officials said in some cases, the internal envelope — the one voters use to return their completed ballot — was sealed shut by moisture from Helene.

One voter took a video showing the sealed envelopes.

“To the point where we can’t really open them without ripping the envelope, and that was very concerning because we’re worried that, potentially, it could be considered tampering,” Liz Allen Green said.

If this happens to you, you’ll have to request another ballot from your county board of elections office.

>> Channel 9 is your home for election coverage ahead of Nov. 5. We reached out to all the candidates in local races. See how they want to represent you in their own words.

(WATCH BELOW: NC elections workers carefully prepare mail-in ballots for early voting)