Quote:With 31 days to go until election day, the White House was pressed on Friday on how communities in areas ravaged by Hurricane Helene will be able to vote come Election Day. Many communities in the storm’s path across the southeast have faced devastation, including infrastructure, houses, and businesses washing away in floods. North Carolina, particularly devestated, is a key battleground state this election.

A reporter asked during Friday’s White House press briefing, "does the administration have any concerns about how the aftermath of the storm could impact the vote, whether it’s talking to the Postal Service about mail-in ballots that may not be getting to people, or impacting the infrastructure in these critical states?"

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden-Harris administration is using "every available resource" to help communities respond and recover from the storm, adding, "and certainly that means ensuring that Americans’ voices are heard this November."

"And so that is our commitment, we’re going to make sure that people’s voices are heard. And so any specifics on where the infrastructure is and what that looks like, certainly I would have to refer you to the state election officials on those — and cybersecurity and infrastructure and all of those pieces, on what that looks like for them."

The reporter asked if any states have voiced concerns, to which Jean-Pierre replied that she has "not heard of that," and added that "our commitment, again, is to make sure that the resources available so that community can respond to recovery and also get back on their feet and deal with this disaster."

According to The Hill, estimates of damages and economic losses from AccuWeather could total as much as $160 billion, with much of it coming from the severe flooding in southern Appalachia. While larger cities such as Asheville, North Carolina and Tampa Bay, Florida sustained severe damages, smaller towns like Chimney Rock in North Carolina were nearly wiped off the map. Over 200 people have been reported dead and hundreds more are still unaccounted for.

The storm dumped over 40 trillion gallons of rain over the southeast, which is equivalent to the capacity of Lake Tahoe, the Associated Press reported.

The press conference comes as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has admitted that funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will not last through the hurricane season this year, which ends in November. The Biden-Harris administration has offered just $750 to victims of the storm.

Quote:North Carolina’s constitution requires that voters be residents of the state. But a state statute currently in place violates this requirement, opening the door for individuals who have never resided in the state to vote, a newly filed lawsuit alleges.

Congress established the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) in 1986, permitting military service members and select other overseas citizens to register and vote in federal elections. North Carolina also has its own Uniform Military and Overseas Act (UMOVA).

Under UMOVA, a voter who was born outside of the country and has never resided in the state is still eligible to vote if “the last place where a parent or legal guardian of the voter was, or under this Article would have been, eligible to vote before leaving the United States is within [North Carolina].”

But a suit filed Wednesday by Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) alleges that the statute ignores the state constitution’s “unambiguous requirement of residency” and “purports to extend voter qualifications to certain individuals not covered by UOCAVA and who do not and have never resided in North Carolina.”

According to the North Carolina constitution, “[a]ny person who has resided in the State of North Carolina for one year and in the precinct, ward, or other election district for 30 days next preceding an election, and possesses the other qualifications set out in this Article, shall be entitled to vote at any election held in this State.”

Plaintiffs suggest that the language of UMOVA is defined to “include certain persons overseas who never actually resided in North Carolina,” and who ultimately “may never have resided anywhere in the United States, let alone North Carolina.”

The North Carolina election officials have also “unlawfully treated UMOVA voters as if they were UOCAVA voters, including by exempting them from voter identification requirements … that apply to first-time voters,” the suit alleges. “Only UOCAVA voters–not UMOVA voters–are entitled to exemption from those requirements.”

“Accordingly, North Carolina election officials have registered to vote people who have never resided in North Carolina and have allowed them to vote in North Carolina’s state and federal election without taking the required steps to verify their identities,” the suit continues, adding that “this not only exposes our elections to substantial risk of fraud and other misconduct, but it is contrary to state law.”

The suit was brought on behalf of two North Carolinians, the Republican National Committee, and the North Carolina Republican Party.

RITE’s CEO and President Derek Lyons argues the state’s constitution “unequivocally require[s] residency.”

“The North Carolina Constitution’s voter qualifications unequivocally require residency,” Lyons said in a statement. “However, the state is permitting individuals who have never resided in North Carolina, let alone the United States, to vote in all of the state’s elections, from President down to local offices.”

The suit also contends that the election officials are “impermissibly using UMOVA to circumvent their obligations to require certain identification from persons registering to vote.”

“Defendants’ failure to require this identification threatens the integrity of North Carolina’s elections because it permits the counting of ballots that do not meet the state’s legal requirements for counting and it degrades the validity and accuracy of the state’s voter registration lists,” the suit continues.

“Voting for our eligible military, and overseas should be easy, but that does not extend to those ineligible to vote, nor does it mean ignoring crucial verification requirements for others living in foreign countries who claim to be citizens,” Lyons said in a statement.

Plaintiffs, in part, seek declaratory judgment that “[a]ny participation by a non-North Carolina resident who has never resided in the state in the state’s elections is a violation of … the North Carolina Constitution as applied to Plaintiffs.” They also ask that the court “[o]rder Defendants to take all steps necessary to remedy the harm caused by their unconstitutional actions.”

(10-05-2024 08:42 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  After Katrina we voted in temporary trailers in the parking lot of our precinct. It's actually a pretty easy fix. Wasn't a National election year.

(10-05-2024 09:02 AM)No Bull Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 08:42 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  After Katrina we voted in temporary trailers in the parking lot of our precinct. It's actually a pretty easy fix. Wasn't a National election year.

Katrina. New Orleans. I bet the temp trailers were delivered very quickly.

Poor white MAGAT trash won’t be so lucky. Biden Administration said they have no idea what to do.

(10-04-2024 06:04 PM)Todor Wrote:  Well, if the region is republican, they will be out of luck and if they are primarily democrat exhaustive efforts will be made to make sure every possible vote is gathered.

And if it was republican in charge, the same thing would likely happen.

(10-05-2024 09:12 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 09:02 AM)No Bull Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 08:42 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  After Katrina we voted in temporary trailers in the parking lot of our precinct. It's actually a pretty easy fix. Wasn't a National election year.

Katrina. New Orleans. I bet the temp trailers were delivered very quickly.

Poor white MAGAT trash won’t be so lucky. Biden Administration said they have no idea what to do.

I could get trailers built, delivered, set up wired and plumbed by next Saturday. They build them in a day at the plants. We were getting our driver's licenses renewed etc. in Temps for years after the storm. They were everywhere. A lot more efficient then than it is now.

(10-05-2024 09:15 AM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(10-04-2024 06:04 PM)Todor Wrote:  Well, if the region is republican, they will be out of luck and if they are primarily democrat exhaustive efforts will be made to make sure every possible vote is gathered.

And if it was republican in charge, the same thing would likely happen.

In NC it's the worst possible combination - Republican region took the brunt of the damage, and the state has a Democrat governor.

(10-05-2024 09:17 AM)No Bull Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 09:15 AM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(10-04-2024 06:04 PM)Todor Wrote:  Well, if the region is republican, they will be out of luck and if they are primarily democrat exhaustive efforts will be made to make sure every possible vote is gathered.

And if it was republican in charge, the same thing would likely happen.

In NC it's the worst possible combination - Republican region took the brunt of the damage, and the state has a Democrat governor.

It could cost us the election.

(10-05-2024 09:23 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 09:17 AM)No Bull Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 09:15 AM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(10-04-2024 06:04 PM)Todor Wrote:  Well, if the region is republican, they will be out of luck and if they are primarily democrat exhaustive efforts will be made to make sure every possible vote is gathered.

And if it was republican in charge, the same thing would likely happen.

In NC it's the worst possible combination - Republican region took the brunt of the damage, and the state has a Democrat governor.

It could cost us the election.

Don't worry NoBull, Republicans lost the election well before Helene.

(10-05-2024 09:17 AM)No Bull Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 09:15 AM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(10-04-2024 06:04 PM)Todor Wrote:  Well, if the region is republican, they will be out of luck and if they are primarily democrat exhaustive efforts will be made to make sure every possible vote is gathered.

And if it was republican in charge, the same thing would likely happen.

In NC it's the worst possible combination - Republican region took the brunt of the damage, and the state has a Democrat governor.

It could cost us the election.

(10-05-2024 09:15 AM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(10-04-2024 06:04 PM)Todor Wrote:  Well, if the region is republican, they will be out of luck and if they are primarily democrat exhaustive efforts will be made to make sure every possible vote is gathered.

And if it was republican in charge, the same thing would likely happen.

In NC it's the worst possible combination - Republican region took the brunt of the damage, and the state has a Democrat governor.

(10-05-2024 09:56 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  **** this hateful, worthless administration and anybody who supports it. Seriously I hope they get ass cancer and die horrible drawn out deaths. I don't give a **** if that sounds terrible.

Our government doesn't give a rats ass about rural white people. ******* racist piece of sh!t administration. Help these people for Christ's sake.

(10-05-2024 09:17 AM)No Bull Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 09:12 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 09:02 AM)No Bull Wrote:  

(10-05-2024 08:42 AM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  After Katrina we voted in temporary trailers in the parking lot of our precinct. It's actually a pretty easy fix. Wasn't a National election year.

Katrina. New Orleans. I bet the temp trailers were delivered very quickly.

Poor white MAGAT trash won’t be so lucky. Biden Administration said they have no idea what to do.

I could get trailers built, delivered, set up wired and plumbed by next Saturday. They build them in a day at the plants. We were getting our driver's licenses renewed etc. in Temps for years after the storm. They were everywhere. A lot more efficient then than it is now.

FEMA NAZI’s won’t let civilians into the area to deliver food and water… they would rather MAGAT’s starve than vote.