Only 11,779 votes separated President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, as the Peach State flipped Democratic for the first time since 1992.
A couple months later, two high-profile Senate runoffs enabled Democrats to wrestle control of the Senate.
Four years of controversies surrounding unfounded claims of stolen elections, several restrictive voting laws passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature, and yet another Senate runoff election later, Georgia voters head to the polls again with much at stake and a lot on their minds. The now firmly-established swing state will not only vote for president, but also state legislators under newly gerrymandered maps that favor Republicans, in addition to three ballot measures and local transit referendums.
But threats to the future of democracy don’t just come from restrictive laws, unfair maps, or conspiracy theories. As the climate crisis makes extreme weather events more frequent or more intense globally, the rights of voters in disaster-prone regions become threatened.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance has analyzed the impact of dozens of natural disasters on the electoral process in the United States, and found that voter turnout can drop significantly due to the occurrence of a natural disaster, especially if the officials of the state are not prepared to facilitate voting during or after this event.
But climate emergencies can often last for months, especially in cases of flooding or hurricanes, where residents in affected areas may be displaced, voting equipment may be damaged or lost and getting to a polling station may be difficult.
What are the risks in Georgia?
Although Georgia has seen the lowest number of major disaster declarations over the last decade among the Southeastern states, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. The state saw more than twice as many severe storms in 2023 than any other recorded year in history.
These events have great potential to disrupt voting should they take place on Election Day, said The Xylom contributor Jamie Mitchem, an emergency management and natural disasters expert at the University of North Georgia.
Mitchem said tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flash floods, and even hurricanes have potential to disrupt voting.
“If [tornadoes and thunderstorms] strike precincts the voting equipment or facility might be damaged or destroyed, which could cause any votes that had been cast to be lost if the data could not be recovered,” he said. “The storms could cause electricity to be cut off which would hinder the ability to cast votes and count votes.” (Such an incident occurred in Florida’s primary elections in August; voting was not affected due to a backup battery power source.)
Natural disasters can also depress voter turnout, should this severe weather take place on Election Day.
“Previous research has shown that Democrats tend to turn out less during bad weather in particular,” Mitchem said.
Research also shows that marginal populations like younger voters are less likely to go out to vote on days with inclement weather.
Hurricanes from September and October, if major, can also cause lingering effects that could hamper voting efforts in November. Research from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance shows that severe hurricanes in the last two decades along the Eastern Seaboard have often resulted in a fewer voter turnout in the affected states.
While winter weather is rare in November, it is not impossible; sleet, snow and rain could make it harder for voters in rural and mountainous North Georgia to leave their homes to vote. This becomes a bigger concern in December due to Georgia’s status as the only competitive state that requires runoff elections if no candidates get over half the total vote.
Geography plays a huge role in this: Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River. Conversely, depending on location, voters with different political leanings might vote more than others.
“If the storms hit Atlanta hardest then that could depress the turnout of Democrats. However, if the storms hit north Georgia then that might depress Republican turnout,” Mitchem said. “With margins as narrow as Georgia’s, it could actually alter the results of the election.”
Is the state prepared?
The state of Georgia has the following measures in place:
In Georgia, a declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor or a federal agency gives the Secretary of State the right to postpone elections for up to 45 days in any affected areas (OCGA § 21-2-50.1).
The election laws for the state also declare that in the event of an emergency, pen and paper ballots can be administered (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 183-1-12-.02.)
Georgia is also one of the states where you can request a mail-in ballot without needing to provide an excuse. Georgia law requires photo identification when voting, either in person or absentee.
The Xylom reached out to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency multiple times in August and September 2024 to learn more about the state’s plans to assist voting in case of an emergency event, but the agency did not respond.
Given the natural disasters that the state may expect to deal with on Election Day, these measures don’t go far enough. And Georgia is not alone: most states around the country lack proper emergency response measures to facilitate voting during a crisis.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic In 2020, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, which would have required states to have contingency measures in place as well as printable ballot forms for those who can’t get access to their mailed ballots.
This Act failed to move forward in the Republican-controlled Senate, but outlines some important measures lacking in most states that help securing voter rights for individuals who may not be able to vote during a climate emergency, who typically tend to be of a lower socioeconomic status.
How can I prepare to vote safely in case of a disaster?
First, make sure you are registered to vote by October 7th. You can check up on the status of your registration right here.
Second, if you live in a region that is frequently affected by disasters like hurricanes and flooding, you can opt to receive an absentee ballot by Oct. 25th.
Third, you can also reach out to your county registrar office and check if they have any provisions in place to facilitate voting in case of an emergency, and if they have any recommendations of what you can do should a natural disaster hit your particular location.
This story is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
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