Following the severe destruction from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, North Carolina and Florida are modifying voting protocols to grant those affected more opportunities and flexibility to vote.
The havoc wreaked by these storms has been extensive, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives, with survivors focusing on their immediate survival rather than the forthcoming presidential vote.
State officials are worried this could lead to diminished voter participation in an election expected to be tightly contested, as reported by Axios on Thursday.
Over the last four years, Florida has become a stronghold for the Republican party, while North Carolina is seen as a vital swing state, sought after by both sides.
Modifications will include the extension of early voting periods and enhanced adaptability regarding voting site locations.
Recent weeks have observed a shift in Republican attitudes toward mail-in voting, acknowledging that 8% of North Carolina’s eligible voters are in regions hit by Hurricane Helene.
On Wednesday, North Carolina legislators passed a bill allocating $5 million to assist the State Board of Elections with costs incurred from the storms. Additionally, the board is allowing voters who can’t get to their usual voting place on Election Day the option to vote at their county’s election office.
“There is and should be real concern that if we don’t get this right, we’ll see really big drop-offs in turnout,” said Kevin Morris, a senior research fellow and voting policy scholar with the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has enacted an executive order to implement election modifications in the most devastated counties. These changes include loosening some mail-in voting rules and giving election supervisors the authority to merge or move voting centers should a polling site be destroyed.
In a similar vein, South Carolina has extended its voter registration deadline by eight days, aiming to provide additional time for those impacted to register for in-person, online, and mail-in voting.
