Some western North Carolinians to vote in temporary polling tents on Election Day
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Some western North Carolina voters, whose polling places were damaged by Helene or are being used for emergency response, will cast their ballots in temporary tents this Election Day.
The are seven set up in four different counties. Buncombe, Haywood and Burke each have one and Yancey has four. While it doesn't look like your typical polling place from the outside, election leaders say it has everything needed to operate as one.
"I don't really like it being called a tent because it's pretty substantial," said Corinne Duncan, Buncombe County Board of Elections director. "I've been calling it a temporary voting structure. It's really big, it's a lot nicer than a lot of our polling locations."
Looking at it from the inside, you wouldn't know it's a tent. It's powered by a generator and has flooring, doors, lighting and heat, as well as portable bathrooms and hand washing stations.
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"It's a steel structure that is locked," said Duncan. "It's got, it has actual doors that are locked and then there is 24-hour law enforcement security watching it."
Queen City News crews spotted the security at the Burke County tent Monday evening, which is located at the Smyrna Baptist Church in Morganton.
In Buncombe County, Black Mountain voters will also cast their ballots in a temporary tent.
"This is the most imperative point in our life that we really need the government and so this election and the government is front and center on a lot of people's minds," said one voter.
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Some western North Carolinians to vote in temporary polling tents on Election Day
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Helene took a lot from the people of western North Carolina but not their ability to make their voices heard during this election.
"I've had family members that lost houses," said another voter. "Some people are still without power. Some people are still without water. So knowing the people that I know, they're still going to make it out here."
For those who will head to the polls on Tuesday, election workers want you to know your vote is safe.
"It doesn't matter where voting happens, we have to follow the law," said Duncan. "The poll workers have to follow the law and there are checks and balances, a chain of command, labels and seals and all kinds of things that go into making sure that happens and that's no different for this location."
Duncan knows western North Carolinians have a lot on their plates- but they were very happy with the turnout during early voting and are hoping to see more people come on Election Day.
