What Hurricane Helene might mean for voting in the 2024 presidential elections in the states most affected

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, Madeline Harty and Erik Asplund 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 Category 4 hurricane on the Florida coast on 26 September 2024, has left nearly 200 people dead, hundreds missing, and millions without power 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 the 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.

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