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In the past week, Hurricane Helene - a Category 4 storm - has caused destruction, including almost 200 deaths, across several southeastern US states. With the 2024 presidential election only a month away, and look at the long-lasting potential implications of the storm on voting in these states. They write that the states that will have the most success conducting elections following Hurricane Helene are those which have established frameworks to protect elections from partisan manipulation as well as partnerships, planning, legal frameworks, and measures to include voters.

The immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a hurricane on the Florida coast on 26 September 2024, has left nearly as of publication of this article. People are slowly beginning to grapple with damaged livelihoods just as the 2024 US Presidential election approaches. How states impacted by Hurricane Helene ensure the integrity of the vote relies on emergency preparedness, inter-agency cooperation, the flexibility to expand special voting arrangements, and inclusion of marginalized groups. Without these considerations, the people of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia may become disenfranchised, both in the short and long term.

Immediate voting impacts from Hurricane Helene

Less than five weeks out from the US presidential election, the immediate impacts of Hurricane Helene can be seen in the widespread damage across the southeast. The "" began by washing away many roads as water surged up to 4.5 meters (15 feet) in Florida. In Georgia, flash flooding brought in debris and carried away houses. In North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, dramatic winds and rainfall knocked down bridges and flattened towns.

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which rapidly intensified to a Category 4, will bring long-lasting troubles for voters in affected communities. With the presidential election imminent, destroyed infrastructure and storm fallout currently blocks voters from traveling to polling stations. In Tennessee, at least remain unusable or inaccessible. In-person, early voting begins in a few weeks across several affected states, leaving questions about voter access. Postal services are partially across all southeastern states. For mail-in ballots that were sent before Helene, those deliveries may now be lost, delayed, or destroyed; in North Carolina, it remains what has happened to the 190,000 mail-in ballots supplied before the storm hit. The displacement of residents because of Hurricane Helene can cause issues with voter identification procedures as voters scramble to safety and leave behind IDs and other paperwork.

In addition, US presidential candidates have changed their campaign strategies in the affected states and brought aid-focused messaging into their campaigns. Vice President Kamala Harris canceled events in to meet with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, while former President Donald Trump traveled to a in Georgia. Many political analysts are tracking how former President Donald Trump is the disaster while Vice President Harris will be for her actions. Several states affected by Hurricane Helene are regarded as crucial .

What are states doing to protect elections following Hurricane Helene?

North Carolina has received media attention in the past few days following in the western part of the state, making it one of the worst-hit regions by Hurricane Helene. The State Board of Elections recently announced that 13 county boards of elections have and mail operations at dozens of post offices are . Yet election officials are doing what they can amid disaster to ensure a secure and accessible vote.

The State Board of Elections is providing "" emergency kits to aid voting in places without internet. Further, under the bipartisan State Board passed a resolution to increase flexibility on returning absentee ballots, which was scheduled to begin discussions on 1 October but gave rescheduling abilities to 25 of the 100 state counties.

Another existing special voting arrangement in North Carolina is around voter identification. State law allows exceptions to voter ID requirements when a natural disaster occurs when a disaster is officially declared by the President or Governor, meaning the 25 counties with disaster declaration can now use this exception. As an Ashe county election official this week, "we will still hold an election and will make sure everyone gets an opportunity to vote. It will just be different and harder." The director of the State Board of Elections applauds election workers, that one member walked five miles to check in on an election office days after the storm began.

In Florida, the state's assistance for voters is still unfolding. The Division of Elections within the Florida Department of State the United States Postal Service and advised that Supervisors of Elections work with local postal service offices to make mitigation plans. The Florida Supervisors of Elections, a professional membership organization consisting of election supervisors from all 67 counties, an executive order from the Florida Secretary of State for increased flexibility in ten counties.

In Tennessee, a polling location was following storm cleanup and other election officials are working with displaced voters.

Protecting elections in the face of natural hazards

The International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) studies , providing a global comparative analysis of how events like Hurricane Helene have impacted elections worldwide. Whether its wildfires disrupting elections in , cyclones forcing a postponement of state elections in , or earthquake fallout shifting voting operations in , International IDEA has identified 54 cases between 2005-2024 when natural hazards impacted national and subnational elections and referendums in 32 countries from all regions of the globe.

Published recently, their case study on on the 2012 US federal election showcases efforts made by New Jersey and New York election officials to help voters when disaster struck days before the vote. New Jersey election officials paid close attention to voters disproportionately affected by Hurricane Sandy, keeping daily communication with advocacy groups to ensure assistance measures implemented would be inclusive to all. Further, existing emergency training that occurred before Hurricane Sandy set election officials up for success as interagency contacts were already established before the disaster. Lastly, a careful expansion of voting arrangements was most effective when modifying existing laws, though further preparedness was needed, as shown when New Jersey expanded eligibility for email voting which backfired when a surge in users overwhelmed technological capacities.

States that will have the most success conducting elections following Hurricane Helene are those which have existing legal frameworks on protecting elections free of manipulation, have existing relationships and training with regional election officials, emergency personnel, and advocacy groups, and have strong continuity of operations plans.

The effects of have already been seen in the 2024 US elections when temperatures disrupted the Iowa Caucus, and affected campaign events. Notably, hurricane Helene , a phenomenon where a storm's wind speeds increase significantly over a short period, leading to dramatic escalations in their strength and impact.

To ensure the integrity of elections, southeastern states hit by Hurricane Helene must ensure that beyond the 2024 election, established partnerships, planning, legal frameworks, and inclusion measures are locked down enough for future elections, not be blown away by what's next to come.