Congressional Democrats Call for Immediate Federal Aid to Protect Elections After Hurricanes
Congressional Democrats sent letters to President Joe Biden’s administration and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Thursday asking for federal funding, resources and support to ensure elections remain accessible amid Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
According to the exclusive shared with Democracy Docket, Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams spearheaded the call for federal action, representing one of the states heavily impacted by Helene a couple of weeks ago.
Following hurricanes Helene and Milton, many Americans are concerned about how the aftermath will impact voters this election.
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“As we continue to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene and face the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, it’s more critical than ever that we ensure every voter can have their voice heard,” Williams said. “I’ve led letters to call for an immediate federal response that puts people first, ensuring that these devastating disasters are not a barrier to Americans engaging in our democracy.”
Williams, along with dozens of other Democratic members of Congress, including Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett and California Rep. Maxine Waters, asked Biden, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to allocate $500,000 in FEMA funding to each affected state’s elections office.
The lawmakers said that the impacted states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, and that “more than 16 million eligible voters in 75 counties have been impacted by Hurricane Helene.”
This funding will help election officials make accommodations in the aftermath of the storm, including deploying mobile voting units, providing hazard pay to poll workers, consolidating and relocating polling places and replacing voting equipment damaged by water, according to the letter.
“This request is a temporary measure to ensure that there are no delays that limit the ability of eligible voters to cast their ballots and have them counted during this election,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
The legislators requested that this funding be made available within the next 10 days since early voting has already started in many states and election deadlines are rapidly approaching.
In their letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, almost 40 congressional Democrats said that while “USPS operations may be limited as recovery continues, USPS must prioritize election mail to prevent the inadvertent disenfranchisement of eligible voters. “
Also, they said that USPS needs to provide crucial information to voters and election officials, like a public, comprehensive list of zip codes where mail service is impacted and where mail is being rerouted or held.
They explained that post office and delivery facility closures due to the storm may interfere with voters sending in absentee ballots and voter registration forms and election offices sending voters uncompleted absentee ballots and other time-sensitive election materials.
“Given the widespread devastation, it is essential that USPS operations be restored as swiftly as possible and that voters are fully informed about how to access their mail,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to DeJoy.
This push for federal action from the executive branch comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) refused to call a special session of Congress to pass legislation to allocate hurricane funding. The House and Senate are currently on recess until after the election.