North Carolina lawmakers passed legislation on Wednesday that will make it easier for residents affected by Hurricane Helene to vote, as Donald Trump's allies increasingly fret that fallout from the devastating storm will depress turnout in the battleground state's conservative mountain regions.

The destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene could alter the outcome of the presidential election given the storm’s impact on more than 1 million battleground state residents weeks before Nov. 5. Far more Republican than Democratic voters live in the area of North Carolina that was devastated in late September by a historic hurricane that