As the true extent of Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic impact becomes clearer, it might be tempting to focus on the chaotic spectacle that former President Donald Trump attempted to create in Georgia on Monday, filled with his usual fabrications and ego-driven remarks.

However, with only five weeks until the general election, it is far more important to concentrate on the hardworking election officials who continue their vital work despite Trump’s prolonged campaign to discredit them without any factual basis.

Take Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections, and Paul Cox, the board’s general counsel. They informed reporters during a conference call on Tuesday that they are still trying to get in touch with local election officials and poll workers across many of the state’s 100 counties, particularly in the mountainous areas that were severely impacted by Helene.

“This storm is unprecedented in our lifetime for western North Carolina,” Brinson Bell noted. “The devastation is extraordinary, and the uncertainty this close to Election Day is intimidating.”

Nevertheless, I must say, she conveyed a sense of determination regarding the challenges ahead.

North Carolina is Adapting for the Election

As a result of the storm, ten county election offices are currently closed and need to be operational again. Absentee voting has already begun, with North Carolina having received over 256,000 ballot requests by Tuesday. Voter registration in the state will close on October 11.

Early in-person voting is set to start on October 17.

When asked if she fears voters will question the integrity of the election results because her team is working under challenging conditions like unreliable cellphone service, lack of power and clean water, and damaged roads, she recalled how people voted in tents in a coastal county after a hurricane hit in 2019.

“I hope this process instills more faith in the results and in our efforts,” Brinson Bell stated. “Elections officials are as resilient as the residents of these mountains, and we’re prepared to ensure that voting proceeds smoothly.”

This makes Trump’s continuous deceits about elections and his disparagements of election officials particularly shameful. Administrators tackle numerous complexities to produce accurate outcomes even under normal circumstances, and they strive even harder when faced with disasters.

Helene’s Aftermath is Affecting Voting in Tennessee and South Carolina

States like Tennessee and South Carolina are also actively working toward Election Day despite facing considerable hurdles.

Doug Kufner, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Secretary of State, mentioned that at least six polling locations in the northeastern part of Tennessee have been damaged or are unreachable because of road and bridge destruction, with that number likely to increase after further assessments.

Nonetheless, similar to North Carolina, Tennessee is confident in its strategies and protocols as they prepare to move forward. Early in-person voting kicks off in two weeks.

“The election community in Tennessee is united; we share each other’s pain,” Kufner expressed. “The grief and destruction are overwhelming.”

TJ Lundeen from the South Carolina Election Commission shared that, “Many areas of South Carolina are still without power, with restoration timelines expected to extend over this week and next.”

Early voting in South Carolina will commence on October 21.

“We anticipate needing to adjust early voting locations and polling centers,” Lundeen noted, “but we do not have specific details yet.”

Mark Ard from the Florida Department of State indicated that the agency is still assessing damage to polling infrastructure and the capacity for poll workers to fulfill their duties on Election Day. Additionally, the state is collaborating with the U.S. Postal Service regarding issues related to election information and mail-in ballots.

Trump consistently criticizes votes that are cast prior to Election Day, which only adds to the uncertainty surrounding the electoral process.

Day, voting early in Florida, has encouraged his supporters to utilize mail-in ballots while also criticizing this method of voting.

Trump Creates Issues in Affected States with His Usual Deceit

Robert Sinners, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State in Georgia, informed me that “we do not expect any long-term effects from the hurricane” on the upcoming election.

In Georgia, the Republican presidential nominee’s visit on Monday highlighted his lack of empathy amidst the disaster. Trump claimed in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to visit North Carolina soon and accused both the federal government and its Democratic governor of ignoring Republican areas in need of assistance.

Yet, during a dull and emotionless speech in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump asserted his commitment to unity: “We’re not focusing on politics now; we need to come together to solve this.”

NBC News sought proof of his claims regarding the lack of help, but the former president’s retort was a vague “take a look.”

Trump also misrepresented facts regarding Georgia’s Republican governor, whom he has both criticized and supported, claiming he struggled to connect with the White House. However, Governor Brian Kemp had already stated earlier that he had no issues reaching President Joe Biden.

Election Officials Have Long Been Concerned About Disinformation

Biden plans to visit North Carolina on Wednesday, after stating on Sunday that he was waiting to avoid disrupting emergency response operations.

Vice President Kamala Harris cut her campaign trip short to return to Washington, D.C., for briefings related to the hurricane. She is set to visit Georgia on Wednesday to assess the damage and will likely head to North Carolina soon after.

Recently, Brinson Bell and other election administrators from swing states convened in Michigan to voice their hopes and worries about the general election scheduled for November 5. They expressed serious concerns over misinformation regarding voter fraud and the distrust these false narratives are sowing towards the election outcome.

On Tuesday, I inquired with Brinson Bell and Cox about the risk of disinformation flooding the election process while they strive to gather and count votes. Brinson Bell reassured that North Carolina is confident in the “consistent processes” in place since 2006.

Cox, while not identifying specific sources of misinformation, urged caution: “Consider the source.” This is advice every voter in every state should take to heart.

“Ignore the distractions out there,” Cox stated. “There are many individuals spreading messages that are unofficial, unvetted, and primarily driven by political agendas.”

The confusion stems from Trump. By Monday, he had been lamenting on Fox Nation about how the hurricane “impacted many of my supporters,” while reiterating his false claim that the Biden-Harris administration was failing to provide assistance.

Trump’s narrow-minded focus can only see a disaster that has claimed nearly 150 lives as a misfortune that affects him and as an opportunity to deceive for personal gain.