MCRAE-HELENA, Ga. — With the presidential election just four weeks away, election offices are working to be ready.
Telfair County Election Supervisor and Probate Judge Michael Wesley says Helene set them back, but they're working hard to be ready for early voting.
Wesley says he could hear the wind howling during the storm and thought about the upcoming election and its impact.
"The very first thing that went through my mind when I found out that it was going to be a storm was, 'What am I going to do with having to prepare for an election?'" Wesley said.
Wesley says the printers, the absentee ballot machines, and ID scanners didn't work for about a week after Hurricane Helene hit. Those were items on his list that needed verification ahead of the election.
"At this point, we started logic and accuracy testing. So, we're completing that," Wesley said. "I just got an email to send ballots to my local newspaper so that we can get those posted in the newspaper, and just getting ready to get poll workers because we have to do a poll worker training."
Wesley said he has six precincts in the county that he has to make sure are ready ahead of early voting. He said he is getting some help.
"I actually have a tech guy who is a wonderful person that takes care of those things for me," Wesley said.
He says once the logic and accuracy testing are done on the voting machines, everything will run smoothly.
Welsey says during the May election, around 3,000-4,000 people voted in Telfair County. He says he doesn't expect the storm to reduce turnout.
"The vast majority of us realize how important an election is. I'm almost 100% sure that they're gonna come out and do what needs to be done." Wesley said.
13WMAZ also reached out to the election offices in Johnson, Wheeler, and Truetlen County who all said they had not experienced any problems before early voting.
Early voting starts Tuesday, October 15.