North Carolina
Electoral battleground North Carolina starts early in-person voting while recovering from Helene
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Early in-person voting was set to begin statewide Thursday in the presidential battleground of North Carolina, including in mountainous areas where thousands of potential voters still lack power and clean running water after Hurricane Helene’s epic flooding.
More than 400 locations in all 100 counties were expected to open Thursday morning for the 17-day early vote period, State Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said this week. Only four of 80 sites in the 25 western counties hardest hit by the storm will not open.
“We lost just a few — despite the extensive damage, loss of power, water, internet and phone service, and the washing out of roads throughout the region,” said Brinson Bell, who praised emergency management officials, utilities and election workers. “It’s an effort all North Carolinians should be proud of.”
Helene’s arrival three weeks ago in the Southeast decimated remote towns throughout Appalachia and killed at least 246 people, with a little over half of the storm-related deaths in North Carolina. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005.
Early in-person voting, which continues through Nov. 2, is very popular in North Carolina. More than 3.6 million ballots — 65% of all cast ballots — were cast this way in the 2020 general election. In the 2016 election, 62% of all cast ballots were cast during early in-person voting.
Brinson Bell said she didn’t expect a decrease in the number of voters casting ballots early. Instead, she said, it was possible it could increase as some voters in storm-impacted areas may not want to wait for Election Day. Early in-person voting also allows someone to register to vote and cast a ballot simultaneously.
Absentee voting in North Carolina began a few weeks ago, with well over 60,000 completed ballots turned in so far, election officials said. People displaced by Helene are being allowed to drop off their absentee ballot at any early voting site in the state.
The importance of early voting wasn’t lost upon the presidential campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz was expected to campaign in Winston-Salem and in Durham, where he was to be joined by former President Bill Clinton.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley were expected to appear on the “Team Trump Bus Tour” when it resumes Thursday in Rutherford County, which was among the hardest-hit areas.
The North Carolina ballot also includes races for governor, attorney general and several other statewide positions. All U.S. House and General Assembly seats also are up for reelection.
County election boards have received flexibility to modify early voting sites, including locations and their daily hours. In Buncombe County, which includes the region’s population center of Asheville, a city devastated by the storm, 10 of the 14 planned early voting sites will be open.
In Watauga County, home to Boone and Appalachian State University, the board adjusted early-voting hours to avoid evening travel for voters and poll workers. They also expanded weekend voting options.
Watauga elections Director Matt Snyder said Wednesday having all six sites ready for Thursday was a feat his office didn’t expect in Helene’s immediate aftermath. But election officials have been working weekends to get prepared.
“It’s exhausting,” Snyder said. “It’s 16-hour days … but everybody seems to pitch in.”
Officials in the 25 counties affected by the storm were still evaluating Election Day polling locations, with the “vast majority” expected to be available to voters, Brinson Bell said.
This is the first presidential general election for which North Carolina voters must show photo identification. Someone who has lost their ID because of the storm can fill out an exception form.
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Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta; and Christine Fernando in Chicago contributed to this report.
Kate Barr is a Democrat.
But when voters in North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District open their ballots in the March primary they’ll find an “R” next to her name.
She is literally a RINO or Republican In Name Only.
Barr considers herself a Democrat but said she’s running as a Republican to make a point about gerrymandering.
“Fundamentally… I hate gerrymandering. That is pretty much my core motivation for everything I do in politics,” Barr told Spectrum News 1.
The district, west of Charlotte, is solidly Republican.
The current congressman won by 16 points last election.
Barr said it speaks to just how gerrymandered North Carolina is. State Republican lawmakers recently approved a congressional map that favors Republicans in 11 of the state’s 14 congressional districts.
That’s in a state that only voted for President Donald Trump by three points in 2024 and elected a Democrat for governor.
“When the North Carolina state legislature passed the new congressional maps that further gerrymandered this state it became clear there has to be a political price for this behavior,” Barr said.
This is not the first unusual campaign for Barr.
In 2024 she ran as a Democrat in a district that heavily favored Republicans. The focus again was to draw attention to gerrymandering.
Her motto was “Kate Barr can’t win.”
She did not win, losing by 30 points.
But Barr was encouraged by some of the results she saw and in November launched her campaign for Congress.
This time she decided to run as a Republican.
She’s hoping that gives her an edge because in North Carolina voters not registered with either major party, known as unaffiliated, are the largest voting block in the state, and can participate in the Democrat or Republican primaries.
“Voters understand that the way to have a say is to choose which primary is actually going to elect their leader and vote in that primary,” Barr said. “I can absolutely win in this one… because primary turnout is so low it just doesn’t take that many people showing up and saying we’ve had enough to unseat an incumbent.”
Barr faces former North Carolina Speaker of the House and incumbent Republican congressman Tim Moore. His campaign told Spectrum News 1 that “Kate Barr’s latest stunt is an insult to Republican voters. Folks know a far-left fraud when they see one, and she doesn’t belong in our primary.”
Whether she wins or not, Barr hopes to encourage a fix to gerrymandering, an issue that’s front and center in North Carolina and around the country.
“Gerrymandering is wrong no matter which party is doing it, and we need to put an end to it. Period,” Barr said. “The goal, end result, is to have an independent commission in every state made up of citizens.”
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
POLK COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Two people are dead after a truck ran off the road in Polk County, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
HIGHWAY PATROL SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN THAT CLAIMED LIFE OF LEICESTER MAN
Highway patrol says the fatal collision occurred at approximately 12:55 p.m. when an F-150 was traveling east on North Carolina 108 near Farm Lane.
The truck ran off the road and struck a tree, catching fire and being consumed by the flames.
According to the Highway Patrol, the driver and passenger were trapped in the vehicle and died as a result of the collision and the fire.
UPDATE: MULTI-CAR CRASH ON ASHEVILLE BRIDGE NOW CLEARED
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Highway Patrol says it is working with the Medical Examiner’s Office to identify the deceased.
Charleston Southern Buccaneers offensive lineman Andrew Threatt has committed to transfer to the North Carolina Tar Heels. He spent the last three seasons at Charleston Southern.
“It’s not every day you can get coached by a well-experienced staff like North Carolina,” Threatt said. “Even excluding Coach [Bill] Belichick there is at least 10+ years of experience across the board, not to much the academic prestige of the University of North Carolina.”
This decision comes after North Carolina made Threatt an important target in the Transfer Portal this offseason. He was on campus on Saturday, January 3rd, on a visit.
“It was a great visit,” Threatt said. “I really enjoyed the experience and am excited to see what coach Belichick is building in Chapel Hill. The staff is truly one of a kind, and the fan base is even more amazing.”
Andrew Threatt played his high school football at Chesterfield in South Carolina. At the time, he had been overlooked as a recruit. That’s despite being a three-time All-State and All-Region selection during his high school career.
Over the past three seasons, Threatt has started 32 consecutive games for Charleston Southern. Those seasons have widely been considered rebuilding seasons for the Buccaneers under head coach Gabe Giardina. Still, at 10-25 over those three years, it’s been a frustrating run in terms of wins and losses.
As a freshman in 2023, Threatt began his time with Charleston Southern as a right tackle. Later, he’d kick inside to left guard as a sophomore. That was before returning to right tackle. So, it’s going to be interesting to see where North Carolina wants to use him along the offensive line. Regardless, it’s clear he brings some versatility to the Tar Heels in 2026. At 6-foot-3, 315-pounds, he profiles as an interior offensive lineman in the ACC.
Andrew Threatt would be named First Team All-Conference (OVC/Big South) in 2025. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
North Carolina’s first season under legendary head coach Bill Belichick was a frustrating one. The Tar Heels went just 4-8. However, there was some growth by the end of the season, and North Carolina finished winning two of their final five games.
Neither rushing yards nor sacks allowed are entirely the fault of the offensive line, but the offensive line does play a key role in success there. Those stats also tell an interesting story about North Carolina. The Tar Heels were 122nd nationally in rushing offense, averaging 105.25 yards per game. North Carolina was also 55th in sacks allowed, giving up 1.83 per game. So, there is room to improve.
Certainly, Belichick is looking to make changes on offense. Bobby Petrino is coming in as a new offensive coordinator for North Carolina. The Tar Heels have also already added a new transfer quarterback in Billy Edwards Jr.
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