Politics in Buncombe County, North Carolina, is far from business as usual ahead of the U.S. election day, just five weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. The storm was the deadliest and the most destructive in the state's history, and its effects are expected to be felt in the community for decades.

Buncombe County Election Services, significantly impacted by widespread and unexpected flooding and mudslides, rose to the significant challenge of relocating 17 polling places damaged in the disaster. Hurricane Helene caused the death of at least 100 people in western North Carolina and more than $50 billion in damages, according to state estimates.

Rural, sophisticated and deeply rooted in Appalachian culture, Buncombe County is home to the progressive mountain city of Asheville, which at times has been referred to as the "blueberry in the strawberry jello."

Amidst the ongoing local and federal recovery response, early voting numbers in Buncombe County surpassed those of 2020, and voter turnout is expected to be high in the key battleground state on Tuesday.