Martha Kropf and Regina Branton research voter turnout in Western NC post-hurricane
Researchers from UNC Charlotte are collecting data to learn how residents of Western North Carolina were impacted in their ability to vote and confidence in the November general election after Hurricane Helene devastated the region in late September.
Professors of Political Science and Public Administration Martha Kropf, Ph.D., and Regina Branton, Ph.D., the Marshall A. Rauch Distinguished Professor, assembled a team to conduct exit polling from the start of early voting on Oct. 17 through election day on Nov. 5. The team asked voters about the level of damage they received and the difficulty they had in finding or traveling to their polling location.