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 Carolina State Board of Elections, summarized the immediate operational impacts: heavy rainfall in some counties, more than 9,000 damage sites and roughly 1,400 road closures across state roads, loss of telecommunications and power, and 14 county election offices closed for extended periods. He said those conditions came 38 days before election day and 21 days before early voting was to begin. "Preparation is the key to a successful election," Eggers said, noting that counties used bipartisan emergency directives to permit narrow, temporary changes such as relocating polling places or allowing ballots to be returned to any county office.

Karen Brinson Bell, former executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, credited advance tabletop exercises, the state's emergency-management partners and FEMA with supplying tents, generators, portable toilets and satellite devices that allowed most early-voting sites to open on schedule. Brinson Bell said state and federal emergency management met many immediate needs and that the legislature later provided additional relief funds: "Disaster response begins long before an event," she testified. She added, "We don't stop an election. We figure out how to proceed."

Lawmakers and witnesses discussed turnout and operational outcomes. Officials said turnout in much of Western North Carolina exceeded statewide turnout in the 2024 general election, and Florida reported near-record participation in 2024 despite multiple hurricanes hitting the state during the 60-day election cycle. County-level actions varied; Eggers noted one county consolidated sites and later had adjustments restored by the legislature to improve rural access.

Funding and federal support were recurring concerns. Representative Morelli said she will introduce the Climate Resilient Elections Act, which would require the Government Accountability Office to analyze federal assistance for administering elections after disasters and explore grant opportunities. Morelli and other Democrats at the hearing criticized recent federal staffing and program cuts, arguing reduced support from agencies such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Election Assistance Commission (EAC) would weaken preparedness. Brinson Bell said North Carolina drew on FEMA and state emergency funds for immediate needs and that the state requested $2.5 million in legislative relief but spent about $500,000 from legislative allocations after most emergency needs were covered by FEMA and state emergency management.

Witnesses and members also discussed cost figures. Brinson Bell said a recent North Carolina survey estimated the cost to run a statewide presidential general election at about $17,000,000 and noted the state's newly adopted bond amount for voting equipment certification exceeds $35,000,000. Members contrasted that with federal election-assistance funding: witnesses cited a FY2023 appropriation of $75,000,000 for election assistance and noted a House Republican proposal for $15,000,000.

Several lawmakers asked about specific operational practices that other states could adopt, including prepositioning resources, targeted ("scalpel") actions to meet county needs rather than one-size-fits-all changes, and maintaining redundant communications. Secretary Byrd described using prepositioned personnel and equipment, targeted executive orders to extend deadlines or add early-voting sites, and coordinated public communications via press releases, social media and a voter hotline.

No formal legislative actions or committee votes occurred at the hearing; members asked witnesses to respond in writing to follow-up questions and entered several documents into the record, including reports from outside groups.

The hearing closed with lawmakers urging stronger, sustained federal support and continued cross-jurisdictional planning so that election officials can maintain access and integrity when natural disasters coincide with election schedules.