Peer-to-Peer Trailer: The impact of natural disasters on elections

This season, International IDEA will explore the effects of climate change in the form of extreme weather events, as well as other natural hazards, that cause both slow and rapid onset disasters, on the implementation of elections. Natural hazards can cause elections to be postponed, impact electoral operations, affect campaigns, and voter turnout. With evidence that climate change may cause extreme weather events to become more intense and common, election practitioners must begin to prepare contingency plans and train staff on implementing elections after a disaster. 

Through interviews with academics and practitioners, we will explore different cases where a country was affected by a natural hazard with an election in the horizon that needed to be implemented. Throughout this season, we will explore and consider various questions on how to protect the integrity of elections and continuation of the democratic process after a crisis. What are the common challenges faced by electoral management bodies after the wake of a disaster? How did practitioners adapt to ensure that citizens could vote safely? What type of legal measures and special voting arrangements were put into place to ensure that those who were displaced could send in their ballots? What type of assistance is necessary for protecting the integrity of elections before, during and after a crisis?  

To find more information, please visit our page on natural hazards and elections that includes our dashboard and longer case studies: https://www.idea.int/news-media/multimedia-reports/impact-natural-hazards-elections  

As well as a feature article that investigates the different ways natural hazards are impacting elections: https://www.idea.int/news-media/news/wildfires-hurricanes-floods-and-earthquakes-how-elections-are-impacted-natural