There hasn't been an election in my lifetime when rumors (or more than rumors) swirled around in the media about potential election fraud happening in various ways. And to be clear, there is always some amount of that going on. But such talk has significantly ramped up in volume since the disputes over the handling of the 2020 presidential elections and the chaotic aftermath that followed. Now the conversation seems to have taken on a new aspect, however, with state-sanctioned skullduggery being alleged and it's based on the weather more than anything else. Some states have been shifting their polling locations and voting hours to accommodate those impacted by the ongoing storms and hurricanes hitting the East and Gulf coasts. How will that impact voter turnout and will such changes have a disparate impact on one party over the other? North Carolina just approved such a set of changes, so we should find out soon enough. (NBC News)

North Carolina’s election board voted Monday to give residents in the western part of the state, which was hit hardest by Hurricane Helene, greater flexibility to vote by mail and run their elections.

Voters in 13 counties heavily affected by the storm will have more ways to obtain and deliver absentee ballots, while county boards will have more ability to modify their election administration plans. The changes, approved by unanimous vote of the bipartisan board, come 10 days before early voting begins in the battleground state and as mail voting is already underway.

Voters in those counties who want to cast ballots by mail will be able to request and receive them in person until Nov. 4, the day before Election Day, rather than the Tuesday before, under the usual rules. They will also be able to drop off their ballots at any county board of elections in the state or any polling sites in their counties. Previously, voters were limited to dropping absentee ballots off at the board of elections or early voting sites in their counties.

The precise impact these changes will have on the results in North Carolina remains to be seen, but one thing we can say with certainty is that it won't increase turnout. The drawing of electoral maps and the placement of polling stations has become something of a science at this point. Locations are selected to ensure equal access for all voters regardless of party affiliation, at least in theory. Many polling locations don't move for decades once they are placed. It's not difficult for voters to become confused if they show up to vote only to find that their polling place has suddenly moved.

Under these circumstances, it's also possible that people will have other things on their minds besides voting no matter how enthusiastic they are about participating. It's difficult to focus on saving democracy when you are staring at piles of trash including home appliances stacked thirty feet in the air when the weatherman is calling for 80 mph winds later that day. People may decide to abandon voting in favor of saving their own skins.

Does this mean that North Carolina's revised rules will give either Kamala or Trump a leg up in the closely divided swing state? That seems unlikely in the extreme. Putting together any sort of organized attempt at voter fraud would require massive planning in advance. The state announced these changes with only days to spare. They'll be lucky to get a decent majority of their voters out to the polls at all.

But that's not really what matters here. This has shifted to a game of perceptions far more than reality. The perception of a voter fraud scheme is already in the national media bloodstream despite their best protestations to the contrary. In a race as close as this one is shaping up to be, it's almost inevitable that claims of official misconduct will arise. I don't know if this is something that turns into another January 6-style event, but it definitely wouldn't shock me to see it at this point.