The impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton on voting in storm-damaged states

2024-10-19 22:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton on voting in storm-damaged states

President Joe Biden in Florida

Florida, North Carolina and Georgia are dealing with the aftermath of two powerful hurricanes that caused hundreds of deaths and tens of billions of dollars in damage. In the following feature, VOA correspondent Patsy Widakuswara takes a look at the impact of the storms on the November elections in these states.

States hit hard by Hurricane Helene in late September and Milton earlier this month are scrambling to get back to normal. Electricity has been restored to most areas as work continues to clean up the debris.

President Joe Biden visited the affected areas in Florida earlier this week, encouraging unity among Americans.

"Not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, Americans who need help and Americans who would help you if you were in the same situation," President Biden said.

But it's hard to separate the response to the storm from the politics surrounding it. Research shows that voters appreciate the president's party in power when the federal government helps people in times of disaster and punishes it when it does not.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has highlighted the efforts of President Biden's administration.

"I have spoken with state, local officials, both Republican and Democrat, to let them know that we will be with you every step of the way as you recover and rebuild," Ms. Harris said.

Republican rival Donald Trump has spread misinformation about the federal government's response, with claims that it has avoided Republican districts and used aid funds to help illegal immigrants.

"The federal government, on the other hand, has not done what it needs to do, especially with regard to North Carolina. They have let people suffer unjustly," Mr. Trump said.

The Atlantic hurricane season peaks in the months leading up to the November election. For decades, officials have drawn up plans for how to deal with disasters during the election season. But now, they also have to deal with misinformation.

VOA spoke with Kim Wyman, an analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

"This is the biggest challenge election officials are facing, especially after the hurricanes. Crazy theories are spreading on social media that you can't vote after hurricanes. Therefore, we are asking the voters to listen to reliable sources".

With some roads still blocked, buildings damaged and people preoccupied with rebuilding their lives, voter turnout may be lower. Storm damage may also affect plans to vote by mail in states that allow the practice.

Almost all states offer some form of early voting. Officials and activists have encouraged voters to take advantage of this opportunity.

"This option gives you more time to vote, instead of a specific voting day. "No one can predict if our area will be hit again by another powerful storm, or another type of environmental crisis that could become an obstacle to voting here in Georgia," said Chassidy Malloy with the Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund.

Officials in the battleground states of Georgia and North Carolina have given some counties more flexibility to make it possible for people to vote.