Helene’s devastation has disrupted voting in battlegrounds

The Category 4 hurricane that ripped through the eastern seaboard is scrambling election preparations in some of the country’s top battlegrounds — adding to the troubles of administering the vote amid conspiracy theories and toxic partisan divides.

The swing states of Georgia and North Carolina were among the most heavily affected by Hurricane Helene, which flooded towns, destroyed buildings, took out power and cell service and forced widespread road closures, with a death toll that has already ticked above 200. The upturning of everyday life has also introduced unanticipated disruptions into the nuts-and-bolts of running a high-stakes presidential election.