A North Carolina voting rule might disrupt the upcoming election following a major disaster declaration due to Hurricane Helene. North Carolina law requires voters to present photo ID, but this requirement can be waived for those affected by a “natural disaster” declared by either the governor or president.
Biden approved the declaration on Sunday, as the hurricane devastated the state’s western region, killing 40 people in Buncombe County alone, which includes Asheville. Buncombe County’s website has informed residents that voters without ID can still cast a ballot by signing an “affidavit of reasonable impediment.” This form may also be used by those with religious objections to being photographed or those impacted by a recently declared natural disaster.
State law allows voters to submit a provisional ballot if they are unable to provide photo ID due to a natural disaster, provided the disaster occurred within 100 days of Election Day and was followed by a presidential or gubernatorial disaster declaration. Voters affected simply need to submit an affidavit for review by their local elections board.
In addition to Buncombe County, 24 other counties, most of which supported Trump in the 2020 election, are covered under Biden’s emergency declaration.
The affidavits will be reviewed by each county’s board of elections, and these forms are considered valid unless proven false. North Carolina’s State Board of Elections emphasized that the disaster exception applies only to voters genuinely unable to present ID due to the disaster. False affidavits are a felony, and the board reminded voters of this when submitting their forms.
Provisional ballots will be evaluated by county boards of elections, including the bipartisan Buncombe County Board, which consists of three Democrats and two Republicans. If a board unanimously deems an affidavit false, the provisional ballot will not be counted, but voters will have the opportunity to contest the decision.
