My Appalachia family survived Helene. We need to ensure they can still vote

On Sunday, September 29, I decided to pack up my truck, stop by Walmart in Richmond, Virginia, gather needed supplies, and drive down to western North Carolina. 

At this point, I had not heard from my family in over four days, and the images coming out of our hometown were devastating.  

Helene dropped nearly three feet of rain on mountain communities with wind gusts more than 80 miles per hour in some places. A historic storm, Helene broke records dating back nearly 110 years. 

MAYORKAS' CLAIM THAT FEMA IS 'TREMENDOUSLY PREPARED' COMES BACK TO HAUNT HIM AMID HELENE AFTERMATH

The last thing on my mind when driving eight hours home on a different route than usual because I-40 was shut down was the November 5 election. But as time has passed, I’ve become worried that the voices of southern Appalachia will not be heard. 

My family was fortunate not to be harmed, and in many ways, this is the inspiration behind this piece. While I cannot be home to help with extended clean-up efforts and do not have to worry about my family’s safety, I think it is vital to raise awareness of the electoral impacts in these communities so they can focus on rebuilding their lives. 

For the families who lost everything, this is the last thing they should have to worry about. Friends I went to school with are still missing. Families I grew up with watched their homes swept hundreds of yards downriver. For these families, they are worried about their next meal and whether or not they will see their loved ones. 

In the days since the storm ravaged our communities, our neighbors have come together in big ways, representing the authentic culture of Appalachia. 

Our communities are banding together in a way that has never been seen before. The last thing on many people’s minds, however, is how this will impact their ability to vote in November. 

While families are coping with loss and communities come together to help each other out, state leaders need to start making plans to ensure those impacted by these devastating storms have the ability to make their voices heard at the ballot box. 

I have seen the social media posts, and I have spoken to many of our close friends and neighbors who are legitimately concerned about the politics at play here. Despite the news stories and photo-ops, they have not seen FEMA. They have not seen the governor. All they have seen are their neighbors and outside private groups of volunteers coming in to help them. 

As Americans, we don’t want to believe this is true, but these are the experiences of southern Appalachia. 

Critical swing states like Georgia and North Carolina have had towns wiped off the map, and many of them are in rural, conservative areas that would traditionally come home for Republicans. 

Western North Carolina and southern Georgia are two of the most densely populated regions for Republican voters in each respective state. The absence of these voices could sway how each state votes and ultimately be the deciding factor in who gets elected in November. 

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Just this week, the United States Postal Service announced major disruptions in both Georgia and the Carolinas. A concern for the almost 200,000 North Carolinians and absentee requests continuing in Georgia over the next few weeks, there is concern that ballots will not be returned or even delivered to voters.  

With wifi outages plaguing the region and no update on when cell service will return, the ability to communicate changes to voting procedures will become increasingly difficult the closer we get to the election. 

Larger counties like Buncombe and Watauga might have the ability to accommodate these changes. But what about smaller counties like Madison and Yancey in North Carolina? 

These issues are trivial in the larger reality compared to the reality being faced by so many in Helene’s path. However, ensuring that victims of Helene’s wrath can vote is a duty that every single lawmaker and government official should fulfill. 

The North Carolina State Board of Elections has begun the process of ensuring everyone has access to vote — I implore Governor Roy Cooper and elected leaders in Georgia and North Carolina to take proactive steps so the votes of those impacted by Helene are safe, secure and accounted for. 

Southern Appalachia will rebuild — it is in our DNA — but we need to ensure we have the resources necessary to come back stronger. That includes the essentials like water, dry food, baby formula, diapers, and, importantly, the ability to make our voices heard.