Election changes in response to hurricanes, 2024
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| Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies. |
In September and October 2024, two storms—Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton—made landfall in the southeast region of the United States, causing damage and casualties in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.[1][2][3] Helene struck Florida on September 26, and then moved northward through central Georgia and into Tennessee.[4] Milton struck Sarasota, Florida, on October 10, before cutting east across the state.[5][6]
In response to the storms, governors and state election officials in affected states changed certain rules and requirements related to voting in the November 5, 2024, election. This page documented those changes.
Summary of developments
Governors, lawmakers, and state election officials in three states made changes to rules and requirements related to voting in the November 5, 2024, election.
| Voting procedure modifications related to Hurricanes Helene and Milton for the general election, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Description of changes | Source |
| Florida | On October 3, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued Executive Order 24-212, which gave local election officials in 13 counties—Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Taylor—greater flexibility to move early voting locations and change the hours those locations are open. The order also made it easier for residents who voted absentee to request their ballots be sent to a new address, suspended certain requirements for poll workers, and made other changes.[7] | Executive Order 24-212 |
| North Carolina | On October 7, the North Carolina State Board of Elections adopted a resolution that gave election boards in 13 counties greater flexibility to move early voting and Election Day polling places, allowed county officials to adjust early voting hours, extended the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot in person to the day before the election, expanded locations for voters to return absentee ballots, and made other changes. On October 10, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 (House Bill 149), which extended election modifications to 25 counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey. |
North Carolina State Board of Elections resolution House Bill 149 |
| South Carolina | On October 4, the South Carolina Election Commission announced that, due to a court order, the voter registration deadline had been extended statewide to October 14. Previously, the registration deadlines were October 4 (in person), October 6 (online, fax, or email), and October 7 (postmarked).[8] | South Carolina Election Commission press release |
Other election changes
On October 9, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) announced updated election information for six affected counties— including changes in voting locations—and shared a state webpage where voters could find current information.[9]
Effect of hurricanes on mail-in ballot return rates
North Carolina
North Carolina county boards of elections began distributing mail-in ballots to voters who requested them on Sept. 24. Between Sept. 24 and Oct. 19, the rate of mail-in ballots returned in disaster counties lagged behind the rate of mail-in ballots returned in non-disaster counties by an average of 1.4 percentage points.
The largest percentage point difference of 2.7 was reported on Oct. 9, when voters in non-disaster counties had returned an average of 9.4% of their requested mail-in ballots and voters in disaster counties had returned an average of 6.7% of their requested mail-in ballots.
As of Oct. 23, voters in North Carolina had requested 408,573 mail-in ballots and had returned 95,014 mail-in ballots. Voters in disaster counties and non-disaster counties had each returned an average of 25% of their requested mail-in ballots. North Carolina civilian voters by mail returned 67% of requested ballots in 2020 and 68% in 2022.
Voters in two counties had returned fewer than 10% of requested ballots—Tyrell (0%) and Pender (7.2%). Neither county was a FEMA-designated disaster county.
South Carolina
Early applicants for mail-in ballots in South Carolina began receiving their ballots about 30 days before the election. The application deadline was Oct. 25. Disaster counties reported higher rates of mail-in ballots returned than non-disaster counties between Oct. 9 and Oct. 15.
The largest percentage point difference of 3.3 was reported on Oct. 18, when voters in non-disaster counties had returned an average of 34% of their requested mail-in ballots and voters in disaster counties had returned an average of 30.7%.
As of Oct. 23, civilian voters in South Carolina had requested 123,073 mail-in ballots and returned 97,953 mail-in ballots. The county with the smallest percentage of requested mail-in ballots returned was Allendale, a disaster county, at 63%. South Carolina civilian voters by mail returned 94% of requested ballots in 2020 and 84% in 2022.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Voter Toolkit
- Ballotpedia's 2024 Election Help Desk
- Presidential election, 2024
- United States Congress elections, 2024
- State executive official elections, 2024
- State legislative elections, 2024
- Voter registration deadlines, 2024
- Absentee/mail-in ballot request deadlines, 2024
- Absentee/mail-in ballot return deadlines, 2024
- Early voting dates, 2024
- State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2024)
Footnotes
- ↑ National Weather Service, "Tropical Storm Helene: September 26-27, 2024," accessed October 10, 2024
- ↑ Weather.com, "Hurricane Milton Brought Devastation Across Central Florida (RECAP)," October 10, 2024
- ↑ FEMA, "Biden-Harris Administration Assisting with Seven Major Disaster Declarations Across Southeast Following Helene and Milton," October 12, 2024
- ↑ New York Times, "Hurricane Helene: Mapping More Than 600 Miles of Devastation," September 30, 2024
- ↑ National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, "Hurricane Helene Makes Landfall in Florida," September 27, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "Hurricane Milton makes landfall as Category 3 on Florida's west coast," October 10, 2024
- ↑ Florida Phoenix, "DeSantis allows voting changes after hurricane, but voting & civil rights groups want more," October 4, 2024
- ↑ South Carolina Election Commission, "2024 Election Calendar," July 23, 2024
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Tre Hargett Announces Elections Updates For Six Counties Impacted by Hurricane Helene," October 9, 2024
