House elections subcommittee reviews how states ran elections after storms, highlights North Carolina and Florida responses

At a hearing of the House Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Elections, federal and state election officials described how emergency planning, rapid resource deployment and bipartisan emergency orders kept ballots flowing after severe storms struck states in 2024.

Chairwoman Lee opened the hearing by saying, "Free, fair, and secure elections are critical to the democratic process," and asked witnesses to describe lessons from recent hurricanes and other natural disasters.

The hearing focused on three recurring themes: advance planning and targeted remedies, the role of state executive actions and emergency management, and a need for predictable federal funding and interagency support. Secretary Cord Byrd, Florida's secretary of state, described the state approach of prepositioning resources, using executive orders to tailor deadlines and locations, and deploying alternate communications such as Starlink and satellite phones to maintain contact with county supervisors. "Florida does not delay or cancel elections, and voters must have the opportunity to vote in fair weather or foul," Byrd said.

Witnesses from North Carolina framed Hurricane Helene (Sept. 27, 2024) as a stress test for election operations. Mr. Eggers, a partner at Eggers, Eggers, Eggers and Eggers PLLC and a member of the North…