Climate Resilient Elections Act Introduced to Protect Voter Access During Disasters

By Brendan McKalip, NLIHC Our Homes, Our Votes Intern 

The Climate Resilient Elections Act (H.R. 5407) is designed to ensure the resiliency of elections in the face of the worsening climate crisis. The bill requires every state that receives federal election funding to submit a continuity of operations plan in the event of a major disaster to the Election Assistance Commission. The plan is to be submitted within the next three years and updated every five years until 2043. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to analyze and report on how natural disasters affect voter registration rates in impacted areas, ways the federal government could better assist state and local governments in carrying out elections in the event of a major disaster, and whether Congress should authorize any new forms of emergency aid to support election infrastructure. To prepare for climate-driven disasters, the bill also allocated $20 million per year for fiscal years 2026-2030 to award new grants to states to protect against the disruption of elections due to disasters. The grants are intended to: 

• Improve election disaster preparedness;
• Educate voters about disaster-related changes;
• Train election officials and poll workers on disaster response;
• Develop/publish their COOP plans;
• Upgrade or replace voting systems/technology for resiliency; and
• Establish disaster hotlines for voters. 

The bill is a response to the rise in major and destructive climate-driven weather events in the US. A recent report from the National Centers for Environmental Information found that there were 27 individual weather and climate disasters with at least a billion dollars in property damages in 2024. Furthermore, federal general elections coincide with hurricane season, and the recent experience of election administrators navigating major weather events has demonstrated the need to strengthen our election infrastructure to ensure its resiliency in the event of major weather events. When Hurricane Helene made landfall last September, just weeks before Election Day, it caused extreme damage and devastation in the southeastern US. The hurricane displaced thousands of people and disrupted mail services for countless voters who rely on the United States Postal Service to cast a ballot. Disruptions like these place obstacles in front of millions of Americans when it’s time to cast their ballots. 

In line with the bill’s findings, the Subcommittee on Elections convened a hearing on September 16, 2025, in which the Florida Secretary of State, former North Carolina election officials, and others testified on administering elections amid natural disasters. Witnesses covered several topics but focused closely on how Florida was able to conduct elections during Hurricane Helene in September 2024 and the importance of election security during disaster emergencies. 

Stacy Eggers of the North Carolina Board of Elections recalled that Hurricane Helene struck with 38 days before Election Day, stating "ten of our county offices were closed for extended periods of time due to lack of electrical, telecommunication, internet, power, and water service.” He stressed that "delaying or suspending elections is simply not an option,” and emphasized the need for bipartisan directives and advance planning. 

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd testified that his state treats elections as critical infrastructure even during hurricanes, stating that "Florida does not delay or cancel elections, and voters must have the opportunity to vote in fair weather or foul.” Byrd described how Florida Governor DeSantis issued executive orders to add early voting sites, reroute mail ballots to displaced voters, and extend deadlines. Despite three major hurricanes in 2024, Florida achieved its highest turnout in thirty years. 

Karen Brinson Bell, who directed North Carolina’s elections during Hurricane Helene, credited partnerships with FEMA and state emergency management for rapid support, including generators, satellite devices, tents, and ATVs. “By October 17, 76 of 80 planned early voting sites in the 25-county disaster region opened on schedule with power,” she noted.  

The hearing and the Climate Resilient Elections Act demonstrate the threat that climate-driven disasters pose to our elections. Such disasters displace voters, shut down polling places, damage election infrastructure, and halt mail service that so many rely on to cast their ballot. 

These impacts fall hardest on underserved communities, and low-income persons are particularly vulnerable when major weather events force displacement, separate them from key documents, or leave them without reliable transportation. For this reason, election officials and legislators are stressing that election systems must be ready in advance with training, clear strategies, and communication plans to reach voters during emergencies.  

Watch the full hearing here.  

Read the bill draft of “Climate Resilient Elections Act” here.