Bear Fire evacuees are concerned about getting their ballots in on time

After the Bear Fire ravaged parts of Butte and Plumas counties, there is one more concern residents have this time of year: how will I make sure my vote counts?

Complex -- creating a new challenge for evacuees this election.

New at 5:30, action news now reporter carmela shows us the help out there for those who never got their mail in ballot.

"it's just been chaos ever since.

Chaos."

The bear fire tore berry creek - destroying more than a thousand structures - forcing hundreds to evacuate.

Kathy sheldon is one of them.

Kathy sheldon/ berry creek evacuee: "from pg&e shutting off our power to trying to find out what our next steps are to move on, we really don't know&we are sort of up in the air."

Carmela karcher: "losing her home and address came with a new complication, especially with the election just days away."

"we sat down this morning, filled them out, my husband and i, and didn't really know where&if it was going to get in in time number one, so we went over to the office drop off to get it in."

But she wasn't the only evacuee wondering if her vote will count.

"i've been to the post office where they are picking up their mail, and they've got tons of mail because they haven't been able to get over here or something else going on to pick up their mail&and if they don't get in there to get it, they are not going to be able to vote."

On top of evacuating&the pandemic& sheldon worries many won't make voting a priority.

"a lot of them might be&not very&it's far from their mind right now.

And so, me i'm always telling them 'don't forget, don't forget.'" butte county clerk- recorder& candace grubbs&tells me she wants to make sure evacuees know there are other options to make sure their vote counts..

"and even if they don't have a physical address right now, they can still vote with their previous address but they can go into voter assistance center which will open up on saturday."

In oroville& carmela karcher&action news now& coverage you can count on.

If you need help finding a voter center near you&go to actionnewsnow.c om -slash election.

Here's