Disaster-hit North Carolina heads to the polls

Politics-as-usual was anything but in Buncombe County, North Carolina, ahead of the 2024 Election Day, and five weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. The storm was the deadliest and most damaging in the state's history, and its impacts are expected to reverberate within 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 and recovery needs, 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 was expected to be high in the key battleground state on Tuesday, November 5.

CGTN visited Buncombe County to hear from key people involved in the race and learn more about how all parties can come together under the one value they all share – the unwavering importance of the American vote.