Thursday, Oct. 17, marked day one of early voting in North Carolina. A total of 5,700 residents cast their ballots during in-person early voting in Buncombe Co.

Nearly three weeks after Helene, early voting begins in North Carolina Oct. 17. There will be fewer early voting poll locations in Buncombe County.

According to Duke Energy, as of Thursday afternoon, Oct. 10, 2024, nearly 50,000 customers remain without power with more than 3,300 active outages in the state.

Seventy-six out of 80 early voting sites in 25 counties hit by Helene will open as planned. Why it matters: Early voting starts Thursday across all 100 counties. It's become the most popular way to cast a ballot in North Carolina during presidential election years.

The destruction Tropical Storm Helene brought to Buncombe County caused a few changes to this year's election procedures. Here's what to know.