Live Updates: Many local WNC races have clear winners
Despite Trump’s win in NC, the state remains purple
North Carolina’s 16 electoral college votes went to Republican President-electDonald Trump on Tuesday. But at the state level, Democrats won half of the council of state offices and staved off a supermajority in the legislature.
In Western North Carolina, there weren’t any unexpected flips at the county level but political expert Chris Cooper explains that there were some interesting trends to keep an eye on - trends emblematic of the state’s purple status.
“So we had 10 Council of state offices in North Carolina. Five of those will be held by Democrats, five by Republicans, right? This looks an awful lot like a purple state from that perspective,” Cooper said.
Democrats Josh Stein, Rachel Hunt, Jeff Jackson, Moe Green and Elaine Marshall will be Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, State Superintendent and State Secretary, respectively. While Republicans Dave Boliek, Steve Troxler, Mike Causey, Luke Farley, Brad Briner will be the State Auditor, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Insurance and Commissioner of Labor and Treasurer, respectively.
In the mountains, Republicans in the House and Senate swept the map west of Asheville. Republican incumbents won House Districts 120, 119, 118 and Senate District 50.
“In these really rural counties in the far west, it's not as much about gerrymandering because these counties have to be clustered together by law before they ever even draw the maps. So the fact that we see very red outcomes here is not a case that people should point to gerrymandering,” Cooper said.
The big question of the night for many was if the Republican supermajority control of the General Assembly would remain.
“We have 170 total members we're talking about 120 in the House and 50 in the Senate,” Cooper explained. “And the key that we're looking at here is can the governor's veto hold? That means they can override the governor's veto without getting a single member of the other party.”
House and Senate races fall along traditional party lines
In Buncombe County, Democratic candidates — including many incumbents —won the traditionally blue county.
Democratic incumbent Eric Ager won NC House District 114 with 60% of the vote. Former Rep. Brian Turner won uncontested re-election to NC House District 116.
In the Senate, Buncombe County Democrat Julie Mayfield also held onto her seat with 69% of the vote to continue to represent District 49.
East and west of Buncombe, Republicans won. In NC Senate District 46 which covers Burke, McDowell and parts of Buncombe counties, incumbent Republican Warren Daniel, who has represented the district since 2013, won 65% of the vote. In NC Senate District 47, longtime Sen. Ralph Hise won 64% of the vote. The district covers Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey and a corner of Haywood.
In Henderson County, Republican incumbent Tim Moffitt won NC Senate District 48 with 64% of the vote.
In Henderson County, NC House District 117, incumbent Republican Jennifer Balkcom held onto her seat with 58% and in House District 113, Jake Johnson won with 67% of the vote.
Democrats break supermajority in North Carolina House
When the lines around Buncombe County's N.C. House District 115 were redrawn in 2023, Democratic incumbent Lindsey Prather was not expected to win re-election.
Prather has overcome the odds - posting a narrow win by less than 1,500 votes on Tuesday.
“It was almost like running for a new seat just because so many people didn’t know me, I wasn’t on their ballot [before], so it was a lot similar to the first time I ran. Introducing myself to people and making sure they knew about my issues,” Prather told BPR on election night.
This race and others across the state will give Governor-elect Josh Stein the ability to veto.
“It appears that by the narrowest of narrow majorities with a one-seat difference between having just the majority for the Republicans and the supermajority. So Stein's veto will still mean something,” Cooper said.
Cooper explains that if Stein can keep all the Democrats voting with him in the General Assembly, then he will be able to veto Republican bills.
“It means that we're not going to see a lot of legislation probably come out of the General Assembly,” Cooper said.
Beyond blue and red
While the counties in Western North Carolina stuck with their traditional blue and red lines, Cooper looked at the percentage of voters in all 100 counties who voted for Trump compared to 2016 and 2020. He says there was an interesting movement away from Trump — despite his win — when you look at which counties had the most change.
“Which ones moved the most away from Trump? Over the last cycle, the answer is Buncombe County, Henderson County, and Transylvania County. Three Western North Carolina counties. And so, there is some interesting action happening behind the scenes, and below the red, and the blue that you tend to see on the map,” Cooper said.
Haywood County stays red and continues to rebuild after Helene
Up and down the ballot in Haywood County, Republicans held onto the traditionally red county.
County Commission Chairman Kevin Ensley and Vice Chairman Brandon Rogers were re-elected handily with 39% and 38% of the vote respectively over Tasha Forney, program director at the Pigeon Multicultural Development Center who captured about 23% of the vote.
NC House District 118 represents Haywood and Madison counties. Incumbent Mark Pless told BPR before the election that his priorities were constituent issues and funding for the county to rebuild after Tropical Storm Fred, which hit Haywood County in 2021. Now, his district faces a long recovery from Hurricane Helene.
“I have worked hard to fund recovery from Tropical Storm Fred since the storm struck. I am continuing that fight as Disaster Committees Chairman because there are many unmet needs still,” Pless said in BPR’s 2024 Voter Guide, which sought candidate responses before the most recent disaster.
Pless won 61% of the vote against Democratic challenger Evelyn Davis.
Haywood and Madison counties were some of the hardest hit in the far west of the state by Helene. According to the most recent fatality county, 102 people were killed in the state during the storm with five people killed in Haywood and four killed in Madison.
In Madison County, the French Broad River crested at 20 feet near Marshall and ripped through downtown destroying and damaging the downtown.
In Haywood County, over 460 structures were damaged with 42 being completely destroyed. So far 4,297 residents in Haywood County have been approved for Individual Assistance from FEMA.
On Nov. 4, the county announced that it would postpone its countywide property revaluation process. The revaluation, originally scheduled for 2025, will now take place on January 1, 2027. County officials worked with the state for this delay because of the storm damage in the county.
“Our priority is to accurately reflect the value of properties in Haywood County, especially after a natural disaster that has significantly impacted so many of our residents and businesses,” Judy Hickman, Haywood County Tax Assessor said in a press release. “The postponement allows us time to complete a comprehensive reassessment of damaged properties and respond to residents’ concerns.”
Property owners who need to report damage to the Tax Assessor’s Office may complete a Damage Report Form. Forms can be submitted in person, by mail, or via email.
No surprises as Henderson Republicans take county, school board races
Republicans held off Democratic challengers in Henderson County races for county and education board seats on Tuesday, according to preliminary results.
Sheila Franklin and Jay Egolf won seats on the county commission. Egolf ran unopposed.
For the board of education, four Republicans – Amy Lynn Holt, Kathy Revis, Robert Bridges and Beth Campbell – won.
The Hendersonville City Council is a non-partisan race. Jennifer Hensley and Lyndsey Simpson will retain their seats on the council. Gina Baxter will serve a two-year term after a seat was vacated last year by Jerry Smith.
One-third of Henderson County eligible voters cast ballots during this election, with almost 60% of them voting early or absentee.
Republicans in Jackson and Macon counties win big
In the local county commissioners races, Republicans dominated in Jackson and Macon counties.
In Jackson County, Republicans Jenny Lynn Hooper and Michael Jennings won County Commission Districts 3 and 4 over Democratic candidates Cody Lewis and Michael Jennings by 6 percentage points and 9 percentage points, respectively.
Macon County’s board of commission races were uncontested with Republicans Josh Young and Barry Breedan winning during the primary.
The counties will continue to be represented by Republican House and Senate incumbents Karl Gillespie and Kevin Corbin. The Macon County pair won by 50 and 33 percentage points, respectively.
Macon County also voted against a referendum sales tax and use increase at the rate of one-quarter percent (0.25%). The referendum failed with 51% of the county voting against. The funding was planned to be used in part for the new Franklin High School that is being built.
Republicans triumph in McDowell, Polk County races
While the statewide results are still coming in, it's clear Republicans had a good night in many local races in Western North Carolina.
In McDowell County, two County Commission seats were up for election. Republican incumbent Patrick Ellis won re-election and Republican Trisha Garner won the second seat, defeating Democrat Teri Stahara.
In the County Board of Education race, Republican challenger Jimmy Allison ousted the current chairman, Democrat Terry English, for the North Cove District seat. Republican Derrick McGinnis won the Old Fort District seat, defeating unaffiliated incumbent Beth Lolley Silver.
In Polk County, six candidates were running for three seats on the County Commission. The three Republican candidates – Myron Yoder, Jennifer Hargett and Paul (Little) Beiler – led the way in a tight race. Yoder and Beiler are incumbents.
The results among two of the three winners were close enough to be in recount territory. Yoder led with 19.63%, or 6,280 votes; Hargett was second with 18.63%, or 5,959 votes; and Beiler was third with 18.58%, or 5,944 votes.
This marked the first year that members of the Polk County Board of Election were elected on a partisan basis. Races in two districts – Saluda and White Oak Township – were competitive. In Saluda, Republican Rick Stich beat Democratic incumbent Rob Parsons. In White Oak Township, unaffiliated incumbent Lucinda (Cindy) Allen defeated Democratic challenger Syd Mutschler.
Formerly competitive state house seat in Swain remains red
Incumbent Mike Clampitt again hung onto District 119. Clampitt beat Democratic challenger Mark Burrows by about 11 percentage points. Burrows has lived in Transylvania County for more than 30 years.
Burrows was out campaigning in Swain County on Election Day before 9 a.m. and then spent the rest of the day in Sylva. He told voters that his priorities were working class families, a woman's right to privacy and public schools.
“We've taken this seat from lean red to flippable,” Burrows said.
NC political expert Chris Cooper explained that the seat could be competitive as early voting ended.
“We're seeing the unaffiliated voters really show up in 119, so about 42% of every vote cast in 119 so far has been from an unaffiliated voter. We don't know exactly which way those folks are going to swing,” Cooper said.
The district, which was redrawn in 2022, is now made up of Swain, Jackson and Transylvania. New district maps ended one of Western North Carolina’s longest-running electoral feuds between Clampitt and Democrat Joe Sam Queen, who lives in Haywood County.he pair squared off for five election seasons. Clampitt hung onto his seat in 2022 against Transylvania challenger Al Platt.
Clampitt prioritized one-on-one campaigning ahead of forums, he told BPR.
“The issues of individuals that we handle in Raleigh are the most important in my office,” Clampitt told BPR in September.
Madison County Republicans keep commission seats and gain seats on Board of Education
Madison County Board of Education will welcome two new Republican members: John Bratz and Tyler Coates.
Coates defeated incumbent member Kevin Barnette in District 1.
Barnette served on the board since 2020 after becoming the first Black elected official in Madison County history.
Coates won 53% of the vote while Barnette had 47% of the vote.
Bratz defeated Democratic challenger Tina Harris in District 2. Bratz won 51.63% of the votes while Harris had 48.37%.
Republican Board of Commissioners Chair Matt Wechtel and Vice Chair Michael Garrison defeated Democratic challengers Barbara Anne Zimmerman and Judy Major.
The breakdown is below from the NCSBE:
- Michael Garrison Rep. 7,652 30.97%
- Matt Wechtel Rep. 6,711 27.17%
- Barbara Anne Zimmerman Dem. 5,280 21.37%
- Judy Major Dem. 5,061 20.49%
Trump takes North Carolina in battleground state victory
North Carolina's 16 electoral votes will go to Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump, according to the unofficial results.
The Tar Heel state is the first 2024 battleground state to be called for Trump, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign reliant on victories in other swing states in her quest for the White House.
Trump won North Carolina in 2016 and 2020. The former president made campaign stops in the Asheville area twice in recent months.
A potential runoff among Republicans in Graham County
Graham County results are in with all 4 precincts reporting.
Meggan Smith (28.09%) was ahead in the county Board of Commissioners race. There are three seats up for grabs.
A possible recount or runoff could be needed as Tuesday night's unofficial results showed a close contest between:
Lynn Cody (20.51%)
Connie Orr (19.81%)
Thomas Menard (19.12%)
All are Republicans.
Eddie Howell (30.65%), Corey Snyder (29.37%), and Rodney Nelson (27.17%) were elected to the county Board of Education.
Bryan A. Wood, after running unopposed, was elected as Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor.
Republicans sweep county, education races in Transylvania County
A push by Democrats in Transylvania County to take any seats on the board of county commission and board education failed, according to preliminary results.
The county commission saw four Republican incumbents running against four Democratic newcomers. All four incumbents won back their seats, including Chase McKelvey who had been appointed to the seat earlier this year.
The commissioners who won Tuesday are Teresa McCall, Larry Chapman, Jason Chappell and McKelvey.
Three Republican newcomers will join the board of education. Ricky Lambert, Ruth Harris and Greg Cochran will soon be a part of the board that is in the middle of an almost $100 million repair and renovation project.
Tensions between the county and school board have remained high as the project inches forward.
Transylvania County voters also overwhelmingly rejected a quarter-cent sales tax referendum that was supported by the county commission. Just more than 65% of voters were against the measure.
Like much of the state, Transylvania voters showed up in historic numbers for early voting, with 60% of eligible voters casting ballots in-person before election day.
Overall, just over 77% of eligible voters cast ballots during this election.
Expected Republican wins in Cherokee Co. local races
In Cherokee County, 16 of 16 districts have reported.
Justin Hyde was elected to the Board of Commissions District 2. Hyde has been employed with Cherokee County Emergency Medical Services for over six years and is the chief of Valleytown Fire & Rescue.
Alan Bryant was elected to county commission in District 5. He worked at John C. Campbell Folk School for 18 years and is now self-employed. Both Bryant and Hyde ran unopposed.
James Ellis and Jeff Tatham were elected to the Board of Education in District 1.
Arnold Matthews was elected to the Board of Education in District 2.
John Shields, running unopposed, was elected to the position of county Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor.
All winners are Republican except Shields, who did not list a party affiliation.
A perfect night for candidates running unopposed in Clay County
In Clay County, every candidate on the ballot prevailed Tuesday.
Randy Nichols, Dwight H. Penland, and Rob Peck were elected to the Board of Commissioners. There were three seats up for election and voters cast ballots for three candidates.
The local school board had two seats up for election (and two candidates). Both Danny Jones and Josh Ashe were elected.
Glen Cheeks, running unopposed, was elected as Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor.
All winners were Republicans.
Against the odds when her Buncombe district was redrawn, Prather holds onto NC House seat
When the lines around Buncombe County's N.C. House District 115 were redrawn in 2023, Democratic incumbent Lindsey Prather was not expected to win re-election.
With all precincts reporting on Tuesday night, Prather had overcome the odds - posting narrow win by less than 1,500 votes. She says that she treated the new district almost as a new race despite her incumbency status.
“It was almost like running for a new seat just because so many people didn’t know me, I wasn’t on their ballot [before], so it was a lot similar to the first time I ran. Introducing myself to people and making sure they knew about my issues,” Prather told BPR.
The 115th NC House district covers Buncombe County. Prather, who lives in Chandler and was a Buncombe County school teacher, ran against Republican Ruth Smith.
North Carolina political expert Chris Cooper weighed in on Tuesday night's results: “This has been a big fundraising race on both sides of the aisle. We've seen, you know, more than half a million dollars get raised and spent in a district where the winning candidate will make $13,951 a year. The Democrats need to hold on to the seat.”
During early voting, Democratic turnout in Buncombe County was much higher than the rest of the region, which foretold Prather’s potential win.
Prather says her top issues are the lower costs for working people, affordable housing, supporting small business owners, and continuing to make health care and child care more accessible as well as a professionalism of the legislature.
Asheville City Council victories: Turner, Roney and Hess. Voters approve $80M city bond.
Note: All election results are unofficial. Election results are certified following canvass on Nov. 15
Sage Turner, Kim Roney and Bo Hess have clinched the three open seats on Asheville City Council, according to preliminary results.
A total of six candidates competed for seats in the General Election. Turner and Roney both incumbents, earned about 23% and 20% of the vote, respectively. Hess, who earned around 20% of the vote, will replace Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore, who opted not to run again.
Kevan Frazier came in fourth, earning around 15% of votes. Tod Leaven and CJ Domingo rounded out the bottom, with around 12% and 9% of the vote, respectively.
Asheville supports $80 million bond
Asheville voters have given the green light to an $80 million bond package, which will increase property taxes. The average homeowner will pay around $110 more per year.
The General Obligation (GO) Bond program will help pay for infrastructure projects and local government programs that support affordable housing, transportation, parks and recreation, and public safety.
Voters decided separately on each proposed $20 million bond issue for affordable housing, transportation, parks and recreation and public safety.
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners
Commissioner Amanda Edwards, Democrat, is the new chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.
Edwards defeated independent challenger Van Duncan, earning around 60% of the vote.
With all precincts reporting, Jennifer Horton, Terri Wells and Parker Sloan are in line to represent District 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the Buncombe County Board of Commission.
Wells and Sloan are both incumbents. Wells defeated unaffiliated challenger Bruce O’Connell, earning around 54% of the vote. Sloan ran unopposed.
Horton will replace Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, who chose not to run for reelection.
Swain County voters approve alcohol sales referenda
With all precincts reporting in Swain County, voters appear to have passed four referenda that will permit countywide alcohol sales (malt beverages and wine).
BPR was on the ground in Swain County on Election Day.
Amy Harrison of Whittier shared her feelings about the changes voters were deciding on.
“I don't personally drink alcohol. So it doesn't affect me but that's one of your rights as an American citizen. If you want to drink alcohol, that's your choice. And where and when that's not for the government to decide,” Harrison said.
Swain County’s local races are contested with both Republicans and unaffiliated candidates on the ballot for county commission - making it unique in the region.
Incumbents Eric Watson and Kenneth Leonard Parton were on the ballot with Republican Tanner Lawson and unaffiliated candidates Ben King and Bobby Jenkins challenging for Swain County Commissioners seats.
As of 9:30 p.m., Lawson (29.5%) and Jenkins (26.2%) had the highest percentage of votes. Parton was running in a close third place with 25.99% of the vote. The county Board of Elections canvass will make the winners - voters were to select two - official.
On Nov. 6, Swain BOE Director Adam Brynes shared that the second seat on the county commission board is too close to call.
"We still have just under 150 provisional ballots to adjudicate and over 20 remaining absentee ballots to approve. The Swain County Commissioners race is very close, and it is too soon to say who will win the second of the two seats. Bobby Jenkins currently leads Kenneth Leonard Parton by 16 votes. The results will be finalized and certified on Friday, November 15 at county canvass. No additional uploads of results will be made until the 15th," Brynes said in an email.
Stein prevails in North Carolina governor race: 'We chose hope over hate'
The governor's race in North Carolina has been called for Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, who has clinched 54% of the votes counted so far.
Stein appears to have won the gubernatorial election handily as Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's campaign floundered amid scandals. Even before the most recent controversies surrounding Robinson, public opinion polling appeared to show Stein with a strong advantage. Robinson, as of 9:25 p.m., did not appear to have conceded.
In North Carolina as of 9:20 p.m., less than half of all votes cast had been reported by the state Board of Elections.
At a campaign event streamed live Tuesday night, a beaming Stein celebrated and said: "Thank you North Carolina ... Tonight the people of North Carolina resoundingly embraced a vision that's optimistic, forward-looking, and welcoming ... We chose hope over hate."
Outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper at the event said to supporters: "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts ... We also hold next to our hearts the people of Western North Carolina. We're gonna work hard to make sure they recover. We've got a long night ahead of us. I know everyone's watching closely for the rest of the results."
ECBI and Swain Co. on Election Day: 'If you don't vote, then you have nothing to say'
In Swain County, 50.5% of registered voters cast their ballots during early voting. In the previous presidential election, just over 7,000 people voted in total which means if over 2,000 voters cast their ballots tonight in the county then it will be record breaking.
Some of the Qualla Boundary, the sovereign nation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, sits in Swain County.
Keawe Bone, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, voted at the Birdtown Community Center. He says that it is especially important to vote because of the relationship between the sovereign nation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and the United States.
“Having control within our specific viewpoint, which is a nation within a nation, allows us to have some kind of congruence within, you know, lines of state and federal properties. So I wanted to exercise my right,” Bone said. “Historically, we're going to have to do that on our own. So having someone sympathetic for our cause is more than a comfort. It is an absolute honor to have somebody who wants to represent the EBCI and all Indigenous peoples of this country.”
The Swain County Democrats hired Justin Ron Huskey and Samuel Paul Sneed to pass out sample ballots at the Birdtown Community Building. Both are enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee with RezHope, a recovery program. They both voted during early voting.
Huskey, 37, says it has been encouraging to see young people voting.
Sneed says it was his first time voting.
“The world is kind of in a shaky situation, you know, and I think the people need to get more involved in it and know what's going on in their government and know who's involved behind the government’s choices and what they represent,” Sneed said.
Sneed says he leans Democratic but is unaffiliated.
Amanda Harrison of Whittier says that the economy is her main issue. She has three children.
“Affordable housing, increase in salary. Everyday hard working Americans should not have to work two and three jobs just to make ends meet,” Harrison said.
Daniel Salinas, lives in Bryson City, he says that he is voting his values as a veteran, a father and Christian.
“It's our right as Americans. If you don't vote, then you have nothing to say,” Salinas said.
Half of Madison County voters showed up in early voting; Polls close at 7:30
Madison County saw what one precinct official called "amazing" turnout during early voting with nearly 10,000 voters casting their ballots.
“On some days, we had over 500 voters per day,” said South Marshall's Chief Precinct Judge Laurie Peterson.
“At this point (Nov. 5) over half of the registered voters in Madison County have already voted during early voting or absentee ... we're not sure what the turnout's going to be today, but so far it's been steady.”
One of those voters on Election Day was Chuck Taft, 56, a Madison County resident of six years. Taft, a registered Republican, originally would have voted at the voting precinct in Blannahassett Island but due to Hurricane Helene, it was relocated.
Taft said he cares about the integrity of officials and doesn’t appreciate the pandering he has seen in recent times.
“We all want to feel safe. I have children, I need them to feel safe,” Taft said. “We want them to be educated. We want to feel like we have an opportunity to move forward in this world, not just here locally, but in the whole wide world. And so who's going to help provide those positive steps forward?”
Registered Democratic voter Dasha Alexander identifies more with the Green Party but believes that you should, “vote along the lines of your values as much as you can even if there's not one candidate that's really directly representing all of those values.”
For independent voter and sixth-generation Madison County resident Shasta Wilde, 26, the handling of rural development is crucial, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
“I know we're a tourist town, but also making sure that we have jobs that aren't tourist based and those who are looking out for those who are trying to help develop this area and other factions that are not tourist.”
Polls close at 7:30 p.m.
In Marion, ‘every vote makes a difference’
Among those going to the polls amid the rain on Tuesday were two first-time voters in Marion.
Aylin Sanchez, 23, said she cast a ballot because “a vote, every vote, makes a difference.”
“I’m grateful to be here to vote for my family, because they can’t vote. So I’m here for them,” she said outside the polling place at Marion Elementary School.
Peyton McPeters, 19, drove two hours from her college to cast a ballot in person.
“It’s my first time voting, so that’s exciting. … I pretty much knew coming in who I was going to vote for, I guess,” she said.
McPeters said the top two issues on her mind were the economy and abortion, and that she was voting for “my future and what I stand for.”
Another Marion voter, Freddie Robinson, said inflation and border security are the main issues driving his decision in the election.
“I’m 66 years old,” Robinson said. “I’ve seen the world change so tremendously. It’s unbelievable. I never would have thought. And I feel bad for my grandkids for what they may have to put up with when they get older. Life was so simple back then.”
Jackson County hits the polls: DJ spinning jams, voters talk foreign aid and border security
At 10 a.m., the parking lot was full. Music pumped through the speakers, played by Demond Rogers aka DJ Green Money.
Rogers, who lives in Asheville, explained that the group, founded in 2008, is nonpartisan. The program sends DJs to all precincts in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, and Charlotte but also sends out DJs to other parts of those states.
“We’re just here to get out the vote,” Rogers said.
Board of Election member Ron Mau, a former Republican county commissioner, said that the day had been steady - at that point 807 people had voted in Jackson County
“So far so good. I mean, there's always a few issues that come up, but for the most part, been going well,” Mau said.
County Board of Elections Director Amanda Allen explained that there was a machine malfunction early in the morning which was quickly fixed.
“We had one express vote [machine] that was having trouble inserting ballots, but we were able to switch it out within about five minutes, so it was no big deal. We have extra equipment ready to deploy that's already been tested and maintained. So we were able to just swap it out and that precinct is up and running,” Allen said.
Voters continued steadily to cast their ballots throughout Tuesday.
Eric Streater is a former NFL receiver and UNC Chapel Hill and Smoky Mountain High School football player. He rode the Jackson County Transit to vote. He says that his choice for president is clear.
“He said it, y’all women, that he would grab your cootie cat, on the bus. I can’t believe how close it is going to be,” Streater said. “All I'm saying, this is truth, if you have kids now, which one would you ask to babysit?”
Streater says he’s voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.
On the way into the building, Streater met unaffiliated voters Kellie and Larry Brewer, who held the door open for him.
The pair gave Streater a ride home after voting. They said that they would decide what presidential candidate to vote for in the ballot box.
“So when we need someone that will work for us, not keep giving money away ... I mean especially with these disasters that happen. They give billions of dollars to other countries, but yet you only get like millions to help the people here. That's not right,” Kellie Brewer said.
Thus far, the Biden Administration has approved over $2.6 billion in federal assistance for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In North Carolina, this includes over $203 million in survivor assistance and over $202 million to support local and state governments for debris removal and providing shelter, food, and water.
Kristina Barnes lives in Sylva. She says her son, who is in high school, made her come out to vote.
“He's mad because he can't vote. He's not 18 yet,” Barnes said.
“The economy is very important. I'm a single mom. So that's very, very important to me.
Barnes said she is unaffiliated but very concerned about immigration.
“Being a single mom of two, I see a lot of the resources that could be pushed my way go another way. I see a lot of help happening with the illegals and then when I go to get help, it's not there,” she said.
Danny Keever has been campaigning for the Republican Party at the Jackson County Board of Elections. He says he votes with his Christian conservative values.
“I like the Republican party and support them because of their values. I believe in a secure border, I believe in the economy. And I think Trump would make a good president because of his policy,” Keever said.
He says he wishes there was more conversation about Christianity in the election.
“I wish they would talk more about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I believe that's the way I was raised up and I believe in that. And I wish they would quit so much of the fighting and bickering and just come together and talk about the policy.”
More than 140,000 people have voted in Buncombe County
With a little more than three hours left to vote, more than 140,000 people had cast ballots in Buncombe County, including 116,000 early voters. This is more than half of the county’s population.
As of 4 p.m., more than 25,000 people have voted on Election Day.
The two locations with the highest turnout so far were Pisgah Elementary School and Liberty Baptist Church, with 888 and 829 voters, respectively.
Jake Quinn, a member of the Buncombe County Board of Elections, said that the county has processed more than 11,000 absentee votes.
“It’s happening, people are out here in big numbers,” he said. “I love it.”
Polls close at 7:30 p.m., and anyone in line at that time will be able to vote. Preliminary results will be released on buncombecounty.org/vote starting at 7:30 p.m. The vast majority of votes are expected to be available online between 10 and 11 p.m, according to the county.
Economy top of mind for some in post-Helene WNC
Several voters in McDowell County said the economy is top of mind for them in this year’s election, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Mike Shuford of Old Fort said he voted “straight Republican” on Tuesday’s ballot. Shuford, 67, owns a convenience store in town.
“Well, I’m a private business owner,” he said. “And things [were] good under Trump, the first four years he was in there – a whole lot better. And I want them back the way they were.”
Shuford said his store lost power for several days after the storm, so he ended up cooking food that was going to go bad and donating to local residents in need instead of throwing it away. He added that he is grateful he “didn’t get washed away” in the storm.
“And I mean, I had trouble, but nothing like other people,” he said. “And there have really been a lot of people who helped a lot of people.”
Steve Burnette of Old Fort also said the economy is a top issue for him, as is the well-being of his neighbors after the storm.
“We have a campground,” Burnette said. “About eight of our campers that rented lots from us don’t have campers anymore.”
Burnette, 54, described voting as his “political duty” and said he’s “hoping for change.” He said the cost of gas is having a “significant” impact on his bottom line, as he delivers logs to Columbia Carolina’s mill down the road.
“I’m sick of paying $4 a gallon for diesel. ... I’m getting paid less to haul logs to Columbia up here,” he said. “They’re paying less. Pulp mills have shut down. Western North Carolina, the timber industry’s devastated, and I’m paying double for diesel.”
Yancey County voters and poll workers navigate changed polling sites, washed-out roads
As he sat waiting in his truck in traffic behind a jack-knifed tractor-trailer near Ramseytown, Charles McCurry couldn’t help but reflect on how stunned he was at the scale of devastation.
“It was absolutely destroyed,” said McCurry, member of the Yancey County Board of Elections.
The local polling place was not spared.
“The voting house was a fire department, and the fire department was completely washed away during the flood,” McCurry said. “And we have had to have a tent put in at another location so people could have a degree of normalcy to vote in that area.”
When asked about whether he’d heard misinformation about voting, McCurry sighed. “Well, in the entire area [there were] rumors about FEMA," he said. "Rumors about, you know, that the storm was somehow brought on by a particular group of people to upset voting in the area - yada, yada, yada. This is the kind of stuff people don't need.”
The polling place in Ramseytown was in a tent outside of a small Baptist church. The road to the church followed the Cane River, which during the hurricane, swallowed large parts of the highway alongside it. Many along the river still don’t have power because the road needs to be rebuilt completely. On the way to Ramseytown, an alternate road, made of pressed dirt, veers away from the broken highway.
McCurry said the early voting turnout was large. On Election Day, the pace was closer to a couple of people per hour. The county is heavily Republican
At the Claremont Elementary School, Teena Kierce of Jacks Creek voted alongside residents of the Green Mountain precinct under another tent.
“I was concerned about my precinct here being closed, but I see they have a tent,” Kierce said. She found it pretty easy to figure out her polling location, though. “You can just go online, and if you're able to, and it'll tell you where to go if yours is closed. So I don't think that impacted me too much.”
The disaster left some voters uncertain about where they stand on party lines, particularly in local politics. One voter in Cane River, Aaron Baumgartner, said that local candidates could have led a deeper discussion of Helene's impact.
“It was just kind of vague, and maybe, I don't know, just ticking a box on the list of issues,” he said. “So that was kind of sad and concerning.”
He blames the overwhelming focus of the election on national politics. His parents took a tree to their roof, and he knows many others who’ve lost family and homes.
Local candidates for county commission in Yancey County ran on issues like economic growth, social services, and supporting small businesses.
Baumgartner, of Burnsville, said he hadn’t been sure if he was going to vote, but the disaster gave him a renewed sense of urgency.
First-time voters in Madison County sound off — some back Trump for economic issues
Scores of young voters poured into Mars Hill Elementary School to cast ballots for the first time in a general election.
Their views differed and their political affiliations varied but they all felt good about making their voice heard.
Ashtin Giney, 21, attends Mars Hill University. He says he wishes the candidates for president spoke more about the damage from Hurricane Helene.
“I feel like they should have talked more about the hurricane recovery that was going on. I feel like that's the only thing that I think they missed out on. That would have been really big, especially when it came to voters,” he said.
Charlie Howland, 20, says former President Donald Trump’s business background has been a deciding factor in his vote.
“Trump knows how to run a business, he knows how to run America, knows how to take care of the economy.”
Adawehi Parker is also voting for Trump. The 20-year-old wants to see a change in the economy.
“Right now, I'm worried about my financial situation because I'm living on my own. And, how am I going to be able to buy a house or do whatever if prices just continue to go up or even food. Like it's so hard to just buy a bag of chips now. That's crazy,” she said.
Of the 17,815 registered voters in Madison County, over 5,000 are Republican, over 4,000 are Democrat, and over 7,000 are unaffiliated.
In Black Mountain, some voters cast ballots inside a FEMA tent
The road to one voting site in Black Mountain was muddy and scarred from landslides that ravaged the area during Hurricane Helene.
Voters walked through a gravel lot in the rain to cast their ballots inside a 5,000-square-foot FEMA tent. The site is the former location of the Straightaway Cafe and also home to a horse pen. Since the storm, it’s turned into a community aid hub.
Doug Begeman was one of the people to vote in the tent. He said the voting site was more rustic than usual, but he’s grateful that it’s there. The top issue on his mind was climate change and climate disasters, like the one he just experienced at home.
“It’s very important to acknowledge that this is something that we should prepare for moving forward and that climate change is real,” Begeman said.
Jake Quinn, a member of the Buncombe County Board of Elections, said that the precinct needed to change from its original location at the Garren Creek Fire Department due to emergency response needs.
“Fire departments are pretty preoccupied with trying to help the community right now. And so, we aren't using fire departments this election day,” he said. “We had to find a site and we were really grateful for this big parking lot.”
Quinn said that the state helped his team set up the tent, and they also provided four big generators, lights, wifi and some climate control mechanisms. As of midday, the precinct has seen about 80 voters, he said.
“This was a hard-hit part of the county and that's why it's so important that we could provide this facility for folks,” Quinn said. “Yeah, the parking lot is a little muddy today. Oh yeah, we're voting in a tent. But we're voting. And that's the important thing.”
Elections, turnout going 'very well,' says one of WNC's Republican state senators
At the North Transylvania Fire Station two groups sat next to each other in the cramped parking lot to greet the few voters who arrived midday to cast their ballot.
N.C. Sen. Kevin Corbin, a Republican, shook hands with volunteers from the Democratic and Republican parties who held umbrellas and handed out voter guides for their respective parties.
“I think people are just motivated to vote,” Corbin told BPR. “They want to get out regardless of what else has happened in their lives and make their voice heard.”
Corbin represents Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania counties. He said his plan for the day was to visit a few polling places in these counties. He has the time, because he and his wife voted early, like almost 60% of the state.
Corbin called the record-breaking turnout “unprecedented.”
“A lot more people have figured out that if you vote early, it's easy to do because you can pick your time you go vote ... in most counties you have a couple different locations to choose from,” he said.
When asked by BPR News reporter if he had heard or seen any voting issues throughout his district, Corbin said: “No, I have not,” noting the smooth transition of North Carolina Voter ID laws.
“And overall, it seems like elections are going very well. Voting is very steady today, and I think it will be a good turnout.”
‘A day of history.’ Hear from Old Fort voters at the polls today
At the Old Fort Depot late Tuesday morning, a slow but steady stream of voters entered the polling place, with some taking shelter underneath the eaves of the historic building amid a light rain.
Ann Payne was among those who cast their ballot on Election Day. The 72-year-old Old Fort resident said she was voting “because this is going to be a day in history.”
“If Kamala wins, she will make history,” Payne said. “If Trump wins, he will be history. So this will be a day of history, and that’s why I came out. It was very important for me. And it was very important for my grandchildren because this election will affect them more than me.”
David Radford also cast his ballot in Old Fort Tuesday.
Radford, 55, said he cast his ballot for former President Donald Trump because of Trump’s stance on three issues: “The economy, immigration and abortion – I guess abortion being the most important.”
William Stephens, a 26-year-old military veteran who was born and raised in Old Fort, said the issues he is most concerned about are veterans’ benefits and military spending. Voting, he said, is a “civic duty.”
“I’m grateful for I guess the freedom to vote – you know, that we have a say so in who's gonna be our leadership for four years,” Stephens said as he exited the polling place. “It's very important, and I'm thankful for that.”
More than 11,000 Buncombe county voters cast ballots Election Day morning
In the first 3.5 hours of voting, more than 11,000 Buncombe County voters have turned out, according to a press release from the Board of Elections.
“Polls opened promptly at 6:30 a.m., with more than 500 workers arriving at 5:30 this morning to greet voters, Elections don’t happen without the help of people dedicating their day to be poll workers,” Buncombe County Board of Elections Services Director Corinne Duncan said.
The precinct at Liberty Baptist Church has had the highest voter turnout in the county with 383 people voting there before 10 a.m. At the Pisgah Elementary precinct, 328 voters cast their ballots this morning.
Buncombe county voters can check the wait counts here.
Candidate Q&A and research: Western North Carolina local races
BPR's 2024 Voter Guide includes candidate Q&As relative to local, state and federal races.
Find your county on the list below to learn more about the candidates:
Buncombe County Voter Guide and Asheville City Council Guide
Turnout in Helene-affected counties on par with rest of North Carolina
More than 4.2 million North Carolinians — a record-setting turnout — cast their ballots statewide during early voting, surpassing the 2020 early voting total of about 3.6 million voters.
"Voters in the 25 Western North Carolina counties affected by Hurricane Helene continue to outpace the rest of the state in voter turnout," a statement from the state BOE said. "Through Saturday, turnout in those 25 counties was 58.9%, about 2% higher than the statewide turnout."
In some counties, Republican voters have been at the polls in early voting at higher rates than Democrats, BPR previously reported.
For information on voting and finding your sample ballot, visit our 2024 Voter Guide here.