Magnus
Diamond Member
- Jun 22, 2020
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Hurricane Helene hit especially hard in heavily Republican areas of Georgia and North Carolina — a fact that could work to Donald Trump’s disadvantage in the two swing states.
Research has shown that major disasters can influence both voter turnout and voter preference. And Helene has pushed this contest into novel territory: It’s the first catastrophic event in U.S. history to hit two critical swing states within six weeks of a presidential election
The challenge for Trump: The parts of western North Carolina and eastern Georgia that were flooded by the monster storm are largely Republican. In 2020, he won 61 percent of the vote in the North Carolina counties that were declared a disaster after Helene. He won 54 percent of the vote in Georgia’s disaster counties.
Now, both states face crucial decisions in the next few days about how to help people register and vote after massive flooding ripped away roads, shuttered towns and dispersed residents. Those include whether to extend next week’s voter registration deadlines, grant more time for voters to cast absentee ballots, and set up new polling places in areas where floods destroyed roads.
State records show that nearly 40,000 absentee ballots were mailed to voters in the 25 North Carolina counties that were declared a disaster following Helene. Fewer than 1,000 have been returned.
In eastern Georgia’s heavily Democratic Richmond County, three of four early voting sites appear to be undamaged, county elections chief W. Travis Doss Jr. said Friday. Doss’ staff has also reached out to all 43 election day sites to determine their status, but has not heard back from about 30 of them due to power and internet outages.
More bad news for the Trump organization. It doesn't look like the man upstairs wants the orange guy to win. If this isn't God's way of discouraging the MAGA vote, I don't know what is!
Research has shown that major disasters can influence both voter turnout and voter preference. And Helene has pushed this contest into novel territory: It’s the first catastrophic event in U.S. history to hit two critical swing states within six weeks of a presidential election
The challenge for Trump: The parts of western North Carolina and eastern Georgia that were flooded by the monster storm are largely Republican. In 2020, he won 61 percent of the vote in the North Carolina counties that were declared a disaster after Helene. He won 54 percent of the vote in Georgia’s disaster counties.
Now, both states face crucial decisions in the next few days about how to help people register and vote after massive flooding ripped away roads, shuttered towns and dispersed residents. Those include whether to extend next week’s voter registration deadlines, grant more time for voters to cast absentee ballots, and set up new polling places in areas where floods destroyed roads.
State records show that nearly 40,000 absentee ballots were mailed to voters in the 25 North Carolina counties that were declared a disaster following Helene. Fewer than 1,000 have been returned.
In eastern Georgia’s heavily Democratic Richmond County, three of four early voting sites appear to be undamaged, county elections chief W. Travis Doss Jr. said Friday. Doss’ staff has also reached out to all 43 election day sites to determine their status, but has not heard back from about 30 of them due to power and internet outages.
More bad news for the Trump organization. It doesn't look like the man upstairs wants the orange guy to win. If this isn't God's way of discouraging the MAGA vote, I don't know what is!
