FT. LAUDERDALE, FL — On September 25, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) convened a group of election officials to discuss methods and tools election administrators can use to mitigate the effects of natural and man-made disasters. It included discussions on how election officials can respond and recover from hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other emergencies that can disrupt voting. The meeting featured 16 state and local election officials, representing 15 jurisdictions from across the country.
EAC Chairman Donald Palmer, Vice Chair Thomas Hicks, Commissioner Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland issued the following joint statement:
“Elections must go on, no matter the circumstances. When disasters happen, election administrators are on the front lines of serving their communities. Careful planning can mitigate some of the most significant impacts, but election officials must be ready to ensure voters can safely and securely cast a ballot, regardless of the conditions they face. Day in and day out, election administrators go above and beyond to serve voters and ensure their ability to cast a ballot. The officials who joined this discussion have faced a wide range of challenges throughout their careers and their thoughtful comments and inspiring stories help inform the work of the agency and will provide valuable insight to the thousands of election officials across the country.”
This meeting is part of the EAC's congressionally mandated clearinghouse role to help election officials share best practices to improve election administration nationwide. Lessons derived from the meeting, as well as from other conversations the EAC has held with stakeholders, will inform a series of work products the agency will develop to help election officials prepare for future emergencies. For existing resources, including information related to continuity of operations planning, visit eac.gov/recovery.
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