How Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene Impact Voter Registration

Topline

Voters in states affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have gone to court in recent days to try to extend voter registration deadlines in light of the natural disasters – with mixed success, as the hurricanes have become a voting access problem in some states most hotly contested states in next month's presidential election.

Important facts

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How did the hurricanes affect voting access?

In response to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, several states had to change their voting plans. The North Carolina Board of Elections has issued a number of emergency measures to make it easier for voters in affected counties to cast their ballots, such as: They are unable to reach their precinct and allow voters to request a mail-in ballot in person until November 4th. State lawmakers then passed a $273 million relief package Wednesday that extends those measures to even more counties. Tennessee moved some polling places and election office locations due to the damage caused by Helene, and DeSantis issued an executive order for Florida counties affected by Helene that made rules for voting procedures — such as moving polling places or requesting a ballot sent to a different address — more flexible . (The governor has not yet issued any measures regarding the areas affected by Hurricane Milton.) In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said after Helene that all of the “physical infrastructure” needed to conduct elections in the state was in place by this time will be “fully operational” by the time voting begins, and although the state has set up a webpage for any redistricting changes as a result of the hurricane, none have been announced yet.

What we don't know

Whether and how the hurricanes will affect the November elections. As election administrators work to ensure the disasters do not impact voting access, Election Day will come as voters across the South are focused on rebuilding their homes or still displaced by the storms. It remains to be seen what impact the ongoing fallout might have on voter turnout. A majority of voters in counties now suffering from Hurricane Helene's damage supported former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, NPR reports, which also includes voters in the key battleground states of Georgia and North Carolina — although there are exceptions There are, for example, left-leaning areas such as Asheville, North Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, which were also affected by the storm. Trump has tried to politicize the hurricanes and spread falsehoods about Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration's response, falsely claiming that FEMA was running out of money because the government was giving money to migrants instead. (The funds used for disaster relief are entirely different from those used to support migrant communities.) It's still unclear what impact these lies might have, as other figures on the right, including Rep Marjorie, misinformation spread about the hurricane Taylor Greene, R-Ga., falsely claims “they” can control the weather.

News Peg

Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September, causing widespread devastation across the South, affecting states such as Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and causing more than 200 deaths. Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, just weeks later, reaching Sarasota before moving through central Florida and heading out to sea from the state's east coast. The storm also spawned tornadoes across Florida, resulting in four deaths so far. The damage caused by the latest hurricane is still being assessed and three million homes and businesses are still without power as of Thursday morning, although DeSantis said Thursday the state had avoided the “worst-case scenario” in terms of damage from the storm .

Further reading

ForbesHurricane Milton live updates: 3 million without power, last hurricane warning liftedFrom Mary Whitfill Roeloffs

ForbesHurricane Milton causes destruction and flooding across Florida (Photos)From Siladitya Ray
ForbesHere's how Hurricane Helene's destruction could impact voting access in key Southern swing statesFrom Stephen Pastis