More North Carolina residents turned out to cast ballots on the first day of early voting this year than in 2020, even as residents from the mountainous western portion of the state continued to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene.

On the first day of early voting, residents of western North Carolina weighed which candidates would most help their yearslong recovery.

Early in-person voting has started in the presidential battleground state of North Carolina. That includes in the mountains, where some potential voters still lack power and clean running water after Hurricane Helene’s epic flooding last month.

Local organizations are asking that donors shift their focus to financial contributions over material goods as relief work in western North Carolina continues.

The tally comes more two weeks after flash floods and mudslides hit western parts of the state, with at least 95 people dead, officials said.

Search and rescue teams are still looking for the missing, officials said, with 95 deaths already attributed to the storm’s wrath in the state.

As North Carolinians continue to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, early voting begins Thursday in the critical swing state.

North Carolinians turned out in record numbers for the first day of in-person early voting Thursday, as the state continues to grapple with the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene. The big picture: The key battleground state in the 2024 presidential race is still reeling from the storm's devastation,

With the election less than three weeks away, many residents are still reeling from Helene. This has led to some drastic changes to the voting process.