BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Thousands of voters across four counties in western North Carolina cast their ballots in a tent on Tuesday. Election officials say FEMA provided the tents after seven polling locations were either damaged by Helene or being used in the recovery efforts.

According to voter registration data, nearly all of those western N.C. counties lean Republican or are heavily Republican. They’re also largely rural in nature, with smaller populations.

With Election Day being Tuesday many voters across the state will have a chance to cast their vote, including the western part of the state, despite their devastation from Hurricane Helene. Early voting in 25 counties in the west were declared disaster areas,