Storms could prove pivotal in midterms
‘It’s a turnout game’: Election officials scrambling to accommodate voters
With thousands of homes leveled, power out and cell service spotty in the aftermath of battering hurricanes, voting in the midterms may be the last thing on residents’ minds in the Southeast, yet voters could play a critical role in key races – if they turn out.
With the Nov. 6 elections less than three weeks away, thousands of residents are still struggling to pick up the pieces in parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Officials in all four states have taken steps to try to mitigate balloting disruptions, extending registration deadlines or early voting hours, for example.
Whether those measures are successful – along with campaign efforts to get out the vote – could have sizable ramifications, analysts say. Less than 3 percentage points separates candidates in the races for governor and Senate in Florida and for governor in Georgia, according to RealClearPolitics polling averages.
“It’s a turnout game,” said Jennifer Duffy, senior analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Florida
The county elections office in hardhit Panama City, Florida, was still
“At a minimum we’ll have a tent with air conditioning, and that’s how people will vote in Bay County.” Mark Andersen
Supervisor of elections in the Florida county
without power a full week after Hurricane Michael. But the county’s top elections official hopes to put up a handful of “mega-voting sites,” possibly at football or baseball fields.
“I only know of two locations right now for sure,” County Supervisor of Elections Mark Andersen said. “The other ones I have to go out and see what’s available. At a minimum we’ll have a tent with air conditioning, and that’s how people will vote in Bay County.”
Voters also have the option of casting ballots by mail, but he said postal delivery is still irregular and many roads still impassable. For anyone wanting to call for more information, he said, phone lines are still down.
The region’s voters skew heavily Republican and could tip the balance in the Senate race between current Republican Gov. Rick Scott and incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. They could also swing the gubernatorial contest between GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis and Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.
The state’s last two gubernatorial races were decided by fewer than 66,000 votes. There are about 200,000 registered voters in the handful of counties most affected by the hurricane.
Georgia
The top elections official in Georgia is also on the ballot for governor.
Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp is locked in a tight race with Democrat Stacey Abrams – 48 to 46 percent in the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Kemp, whose office did not return a message seeking comment, traveled to several county elections offices to survey the damage after the hurricane swept through the state, touching off tornadoes and causing widespread power outages and wind damage.
After surveying the damage, Kemp said he wasn’t sure voting would be top of mind for residents in the region, according to CBS affiliate WTVY.
“I’m not diminishing someone’s ability to vote, but I think everyone understands if you don’t have a safe environment,” he said.
North Carolina
North Carolina suffered a doublewhammy in recent weeks, first with Hurricane Florence and then Michael.
Election officials said they are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on outreach to remind voters of the options available, including mail-in ballots.
There is no governor’s race or U.S. Senate contest in the state this year, but there are a couple of tight faceoffs for House seats.
South Carolina
Election officials said they do not expect much impact from the hurricanes’ fallout in the general election.
But counties have asked what to do in instances in which voters are displaced to other counties, said Chris Whitmire, a spokesman for the State Election Commission. He said such voters can register in their new home or keep their registration and vote in their hometown by absentee ballot.
Two to three polling places have been moved, he said, because of storm damage. In addition, counties are being encouraged to open for additional hours for absentee voting.
“Florence happened well in advance of the election, so I think that offered us some relief,” he said.
Contributing: James Call and Annie Blanks, Tallahassee Democrat; Tim Smith, Greenville News; Herb Jackson, North Jersey Record; Associated Press