In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destructive path through North Carolina, the Trump campaign has reportedly sounded the alarm over what it sees as a clear threat to voter turnout in the region.
With 26 of the 28 counties hit hardest by the flooding having voted for President Trump in 2020, campaign insiders are concerned that more than 530,000 Trump voters in western North Carolina could be left unable to vote in the upcoming election.
Veteran investigative reporter Paul Sperry broke the story, writing on X: “SCOOP: Trump campaign fears >530k Trump voters in western NC cd be disenfranchised by Helene. In fact, 26 of 28 counties hit by flooding voted for Trump in ’20. ‘There’s a 4-to-1 disparity (vs Biden/Harris voters). We’re very concerned,’ a Trump insider said. NC = 16 electoral votes.”
SCOOP: Trump campaign fears >530k Trump voters in western NC cd be disenfranchised by Helene. In fact,26 of 28 counties hit by flooding voted for Trump in ’20. “There’s a 4-to-1 disparity (vs Biden/Harris voters). We’re very concerned,” a Trump insider said. NC=16 electoral votes
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) October 9, 2024
The left-wing media are already signaling how the storm could swing the election, but many conservatives are asking: are they preparing to cheat again?
Politico’s latest report reads almost like a gleeful prediction, saying: “Helene hit Trump strongholds in Georgia and North Carolina. It could swing the election.”
Politico reported:
Research has shown that major disasters can influence both voter turnout and voter preference. And Helene has pushed this contest into novel territory: It’s the first catastrophic event in U.S. history to hit two critical swing states within six weeks of a presidential election, based on a POLITICO’s E&E News analysis of data compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The challenge for Trump: The parts of western North Carolina and eastern Georgia that were flooded by the monster storm are largely Republican. In 2020, he won 61 percent of the vote in the North Carolina counties that were declared a disaster after Helene. He won 54 percent of the vote in Georgia’s disaster counties.
According to Newsweek, registered Democrats in North Carolina have taken an early lead in returning mail-in ballots, raising Republican concerns about election integrity after officials implemented rule changes in counties severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.
According to VoteHub.us, which sources data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, a total of 22,910 mail-in ballots have been submitted so far, with 9,075 returned by Democrats, compared to 5,595 by Republicans and 8,240 by unaffiliated voters.
Out of the 284,245 mail-in ballots requested, 261,335 have yet to be returned.
Of the outstanding mail-in votes, 93,285 belong to registered Democrats, 65,333 to Republicans, and 102,717 to unaffiliated voters.
Starting on October 9, the “Team Trump Bus Tour” will travel across North Carolina. The goal: to energize the conservative base and ensure every Trump supporter makes it to the polls despite the challenges.
This tour is filled with high-profile conservative figures, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Rep. Elise Stefanik, and former Trump administration officials like Hogan Gidley and Kash Patel.
Team Trump Bus Tour Schedule:
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
- Wilmington – New Hanover County GOP/Trump Force 47 Office
- Fayetteville – Cumberland County GOP HQ
- Rocky Mount – Rocky Mount Trump Force 47 Office
Thursday, October 10, 2024
- Concord – Cabarrus GOP HQ/Trump Force 47 Office
- Gastonia – Gaston County GOP HQ/Trump Force 47 Office
- Charlotte – Trump Force 47 Office
Friday, October 11, 2024
- Lincolnton – Lincoln County GOP HQ
- Statesville – Iredell County GOP HQ
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