Republicans file lawsuits as early voting begins

With early voting underway in many states ahead of the Nov. 5 election, Republicans are filing lawsuits across the country to challenge potential losses for Donald Trump.

Republicans are involved in 130 lawsuits they say aim to make sure votes are counted properly and that people don't vote illegally, after Trump in 2020 falsely claimed his defeat to President Joe Biden was marred by fraud.

Polls opened for early voting in North Carolina - a critical battleground in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election - just weeks after Hurricane Helene left some residents still without power, running water or phone service.

North Carolina could be crucial in determining a winner in the race between U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and former Republican President Donald Trump because its voting preferences could swing either way. Polls show a very tight race with a handful of swing states likely to determine the winner.

Both Harris and Trump supporters were vocal at Henderson County’s only early voting location, the Henderson County Board of Elections office in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people across six states and caused billions of dollars in damage, has sparked questions on how it might impact voter turnout.

Trump and Harris are in a dead heat in North Carolina, with Trump showing 48% support in state polls, versus 47.5% for Harris, according to poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight.

Some of the state's hardest hit counties lean both Republican and Democratic. For instance, Buncombe County - home to the city of Asheville - supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 election versus Trump, while neighboring Yancey County favored Trump.