[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MAINTAINING ELECTION OPERATIONS IN
THE FACE OF NATURAL DISASTERS
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS
of the
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
www.govinfo.gov
www.cha.house.gov
_______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-639 PDF WASHINGTON : 2026
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
BRYAN STEIL, Wisconsin, Chairman
LAUREL LEE, Florida, Vice Chair JOSEPH MORELLE, New York,
BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia Ranking Member
H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama
GREG MURPHY, North Carolina NORMA TORRES, California
STEPHANIE BICE, Oklahoma JULIE JOHNSON, Texas
MARY MILLER, Illinois
MIKE CAREY, Ohio
Mike Platt, Staff Director
Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS
LAUREL LEE, Florida, Chair
BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama,
GREG MURPHY, North Carolina Ranking Member
MARY MILLER, Illinois JULIE JOHNSON, Texas
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Opening Statements
Chair Laurel Lee, Representative from the State of Florida....... 1
Prepared statement of Chair Laurel Lee....................... 3
Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on House Administration Joseph
Morelle, Representative from the State of New York............. 3
Prepared statement of Ranking Member Joseph Morelle.......... 5
Ranking Member Terri A. Sewell, Representative from the State of
Alabama........................................................ 6
Prepared statement of Ranking Member Terri A. Sewell......... 45
Witnesses
Stacy ``Four'' Eggers, IV, partner, Eggers, Eggers, Eggers, &
Eggers, PLLC................................................... 46
Prepared statement of Stacy ``Four'' Eggers, IV.............. 48
The Honorable Cord Byrd, Secretary of State of Florida, Office of
the Florida Secretary of State................................. 63
Prepared statement of Cord Byrd.............................. 65
Karen Brinson Bell, former executive director, North Carolina
State Board of Elections....................................... 68
Prepared statement of Karen Brinson Bell..................... 70
Submissions for the Record
Election Infrastructure Initiative report........................ 9
Statement from the League of Women Voters........................ 42
Fox News article................................................. 83
Written testimony of the Southern Poverty Law Center............. 86
MAINTAINING ELECTION OPERATIONS IN
THE FACE OF NATURAL DISASTERS
----------
September 16, 2025
Subcommittee on Elections,
Committee on House Administration,
House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:01 p.m., in
room 1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Laurel Lee
[Chair of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Lee, Murphy, Miller, Sewell, and
Morelle.
Staff present: Annemarie Cake, Professional Staff/Deputy
Clerk; Rachel Collins, General Counsel; Kristen Monterroso,
Director of Operations; Michael Platt, Staff Director; Abby
Salter, Deputy General Counsel; Josh Weber, Counsel; Jordan
Wilson, Director of Member Services; Khalil Abboud, Minority
Deputy Staff Director; Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director;
Sarah Nasta, Minority Senior Advisor and Director of Outreach;
Owen Reilly, Minority Professional Staff; Sean Wright, Minority
Chief Counsel; and Nikolas Youngsmith, Minority Elections
Counsel.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. LAUREL LEE, CHAIR OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE
ON ELECTIONS, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM FLORIDA
Chair Lee. The Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee
on House Administration will come to order.
The title of today's hearing is ``Maintaining Election
Operations in the Face of Natural Disasters.''
I note that a quorum is present.
Without objection, the Chair may declare a recess at any
time.
Also without objection, the hearing record will remain open
for 5 legislative days so Members may submit any materials they
wish to be included therein.
Thank you, Ranking Member Morelle, Members of the
Committee, and our witnesses, for participating in today's
hearing.
Free, fair, and secure elections are critical to the
democratic process. The Committee on House Administration has
broad oversight of Federal election policy. Today, the
Subcommittee on Elections continues that oversight with a
discussion on election administration during natural disasters.
While laws dictate the time, manner, and place for
elections, one factor that is out of our control is the
weather. Federal general elections coincide with hurricane
season, and the 2024 general election demonstrated firsthand
how Mother Nature can impact election administration.
While natural disasters may not be the first thing that
comes to mind for election administration, our local leaders
have experienced them and know that they must be prepared for
disasters that could strike at any moment.
In the case of Hurricane Helene and so many that came
before it, millions of Americans faced unexpected obstacles
when it was time to cast their ballots, and election officials
did their best to ensure that every legal ballot was counted.
Today, we will examine how State and local election
officials dealt with both logistical and physical problems
while administering elections in the aftermath of storms. Their
experiences will show how preparation and planning for
emergency weather is crucial to secure elections and voter
access.
As the former Secretary of State for the State of Florida,
which has been hit by more hurricanes than any other State
since 1851, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to
administer an election in the face of a natural disaster.
Our witnesses today have faced similar challenges when
administering elections during extreme weather or while their
State is trying to recover from storm damage. Both North
Carolina and Florida have been left devastated by hurricanes,
and today they will highlight best practices for ensuring
smooth election operations before and after natural disasters
strike.
Before a natural disaster strikes, State and local election
officials should have a strategy in place and be prepared to
execute well-planned modifications to keep elections secure,
maintain voter confidence, and protect high voter turnout.
These preparation and planning efforts can help election
officials, voters, and State and local jurisdictions ensure
that ballots can be cast on time and in a safe manner.
Additionally, election officials should undergo training to
address additional unexpected scenarios that a natural disaster
could cause before, during, and after Election Day.
Clear and effective communication to eligible voters in the
case of an emergency is critical. North Carolina and Florida
have each implemented best practices and shown success in
ensuring voters' voices are still heard when a natural disaster
strikes close to an election. Today's hearing will detail these
best practices as an example for State and local officials
across the country.
Election laws in North Carolina and Florida demonstrate
that all statutes can authorize flexible and appropriate
responses to natural disasters close to Election Day.
Consistency in election processes increases trust amongst
voters. However, natural disasters threaten consistency,
particularly when they hit close to an election.
No matter the circumstances, voters must be confident that
their voices will be heard.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. I look
forward to the discussion.
With that, I yield to Ranking Member Morelle for an opening
statement.
[The prepared statement of Chair Lee follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHAIR OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS
LAUREL LEE
Free, fair, and secure elections are critical to the
democratic process. The Committee on House Administration has
broad oversight of Federal election policy. Today, the
Subcommittee on Elections continues that oversight with a
discussion on election administration during a natural
disaster. While laws dictate the time, manner, and place for
elections, one factor out of our control is the weather.
Federal general elections coincide with hurricane season,
and the 2024 general election demonstrated firsthand how mother
nature can impact election administration. While natural
disasters may not be the first thing that comes to mind for
election administration, our local leaders must prepare for
disasters that could strike at any moment. In the case of
Hurricane Helene, millions of Americans faced unexpected
obstacles when it was time to cast their ballots, and election
officials did their best to ensure that every legal ballot cast
was counted.
Today, we will examine how State and local election
officials dealt with both logistical and physical problems
while administering elections in the aftermath of this storm.
Their experiences will show how preparation and planning for
emergency weather is crucial to secure elections. As the former
Secretary of State for the State of Florida, which has been hit
by more hurricanes than any other State since 1851, I know
firsthand how challenging it can be to administer an election
in the face of a natural disaster.
Our witnesses today have faced similar challenges when
administering elections during extreme weather or while their
State is trying to recover from storm damage. Both North
Carolina and Florida were left devastated by Hurricane Helene
ahead of the 2024 election. Today, they will highlight best
practices for ensuring smooth election operations before and
after a natural disaster strikes.
Before a natural disaster strikes, State and local election
officials should have a strategy in place and be prepared to
execute well-planned modifications to keep the election secure,
maintain voter confidence, and protect high voter turnout.
These preparation and planning efforts can help election
officials, voters, and State and local jurisdictions ensure
that ballots can be cast on time, and in a safe manner.
Additionally, election officials should undergo training to
address additional unexpected scenarios that a natural disaster
could cause before, during, and after Election Day.
Clear and effective communication to eligible voters in the
case of an emergency is critical. North Carolina and Florida
have each implemented best practices and shown success in
ensuring voters' voices are still heard when a natural disaster
strikes close to an election. Today's hearing will detail these
best practices as an example for State and local officials
across the country.
Election laws in North Carolina and Florida demonstrate
that statutes can authorize flexible and appropriate responses
to natural disasters close to Election Day. Consistency in
election processes increases trust amongst voters. However,
natural disasters threaten consistency, particularly when they
hit close to an election. No matter the circumstances, voters
must be confident that their voices will be heard.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH MORELLE, RANKING MEMBER OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM
NEW YORK
Mr. Morelle. Well, thank you.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you, Chairwoman Lee.
Thank you to my dear friend, the Ranking Member of this
Subcommittee, Ms. Sewell.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
I think this is--as Chair Lee and I said, this is the third
time we have tried to organize this, so the third time is the
charm, it turns out. This is really a very, very important
conversation to have, and I am grateful to the Chair for
pulling us all together and, again, to all the witnesses for
being here.
I think it is important to kind of take stock of the moment
that we are in. A recent report found that, last year, there
were 27 individual weather and climate disasters with at least
a billion dollars in property damages. That is really pretty
extraordinary.
As the number continues to grow and the amount of damage
that storms do, unfortunately, the administration continues to
deny the climate crisis, denying science and actively impairing
our readiness to respond.
Back in June, I sent a letter to FEMA expressing concern
over the lack of publicly accessible data on how and where
Federal resources are allocated in response to Federal
disasters, a problem which has gotten even worse since January
with the new administration.
As the hurricane season began, the President's FEMA had
reportedly said that he was unaware hurricane season had
started. I am assuming that was a joke, but, joking or not, it
is not funny and it is unacceptable.
We have seen, since the beginning of this year, fired
Federal workers, ended grant programs that have long built
resiliency and mitigated impacts of disasters, and actively
dismantling agencies that support our critical infrastructure.
A recent GAO report found that the recent cuts to FEMA have
severely impacted the Government's ability to respond to a
hurricane season like last year's.
Natural disasters and severe weather events and the damage
they inflict are not going to stop regardless of whether we
bury our head in the proverbial sand or not; they are coming
whether we like it or not. These actions do not strengthen our
elections or our democracy. In fact, they make us less secure.
Disasters do not care about partisan affiliation, and they
do not care that it is Election Day. They do not care if a
person is rich or poor, and our response to them should not
either.
When Hurricane Sandy hit New York and New Jersey just days
before the 2012 Presidential election--hard to believe it was
that long ago--it displaced hundreds of thousands of people and
caused significant damage, yet we still needed to carry on a
Presidential election.
The same thing happened in North Carolina just last year,
which was referenced by the Chair. Hurricane Helene hit the
State in late September 2024 after absentee voting had already
begun and less than 3 weeks before early voting was set to
begin, and the storm caused tremendous damage. I do not have to
tell our witness about that. In western North Carolina, more
than 100 people died as a result of that tragedy.
Election officials across the State, led by then-executive
director Karen Brinson Bell, quickly got to work ensuring North
Carolinians could cast a ballot. Because of their hard work--
she and all the people who were part of the election
infrastructure--voter turnout was actually higher in the 25
disaster-area counties than it was statewide, which is pretty
remarkable when you consider it.
The State Board of Elections in Buncombe County, the
hardest hit area in the State, won national awards from the
Election Assistance Commission for their emergency response and
planning.
Unfortunately, Ms. Brinson Bell was recently removed from
her position after the Republicans in the North Carolina
legislature pulled what I can only describe as a blatantly
partisan takeover of this board of elections, shifting the
power to appoint the board's members from a Governor, who
happened to be a Democrat, to the State auditor, which seems
like a pretty illogical move.
Anyway, thank you, Ms. Brinson Bell, for being here today
to share your experience and expertise on this issue, and thank
you to you and your staff for the hard work in the last
elections.
Look, the last comment I will make is, we need to fully
fund our elections. Election officials need additional
resources even under ideal circumstances, let alone in the
midst of natural disaster. When a disaster hits, we must make
sure they have the funds and support they need to adapt
operations and assist voters to ensure every voter can still
cast a ballot.
Last week in the Appropriations Committee, I said that $15
million in election funding that House Republicans have
proposed is certainly not enough. It is a drop in the ocean of
funding needs, and I will continue to push for additional
funding and consistent elections funding. When disaster
strikes, election administrators must provide voters with
options for casting a ballot.
Later today--and I will close with this--I am introducing
the Climate Resilient Elections Act with many of my colleagues,
a bill that would require the GAO to analyze and report on ways
the Federal Government can better assist in administering
elections following a natural disaster. It would grant funding
opportunities to strengthen American elections.
I would also say in closing--and then I will yield back,
and I appreciate the courtesy of the Chair--today is a moment
to recognize today is National Voter Registration Day, as I
think we all know. As we talk about natural disasters and the
impact they can have, we should also work to ensure that every
eligible American citizen has every opportunity to register to
vote, update their voter registration information, and cast a
ballot should they choose to do so. We certainly hope that they
will choose to do that.
Thank you again for holding this hearing--I am very
appreciative--on an important topic. With that, I will yield
back.
[The prepared statement of Ranking Member Morelle follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION JOSEPH MORELLE
A recent report found that, last year, there were 27
individual weather and climate disasters with at least a
billion dollars in property damages. That is really pretty
extraordinary. As the number continues to grow and the amount
of damage that storms do, unfortunately, the administration
continues to deny the climate crisis, denying science and
actively impairing our readiness to respond.
Back in June, I sent a letter to FEMA expressing concern
over the lack of publicly accessible data on how and where
Federal resources are allocated in response to Federal
disasters, a problem which has gotten even worse since January
with the new administration. As the hurricane season began, the
President's FEMA had reportedly said that he was unaware
hurricane season had started. I am assuming that was a joke,
but, joking or not, it is not funny and it is unacceptable.
We have seen, since the beginning of this year, fired
Federal workers, ended grant programs that have long built
resiliency and mitigated impacts of disasters, and actively
dismantling agencies that support our critical infrastructure.
A recent GAO report found that the recent cuts to FEMA have
severely impacted the Government's ability to respond to a
hurricane season like last year's.
Natural disasters and severe weather events and the damage
they inflict are not going to stop regardless of whether we
bury our head in the proverbial sand or not; they are coming
whether we like it or not. These actions do not strengthen our
elections or our democracy. In fact, they make us less secure.
Disasters do not care about partisan affiliation, and they do
not care that it is Election Day. They do not care if a person
is rich or poor, and our response to them should not either.
When Hurricane Sandy hit New York and New Jersey just days
before the 2012 Presidential election--hard to believe it was
that long ago--it displaced hundreds of thousands of people and
caused significant damage, yet we still needed to carry on a
Presidential election. The same thing happened in North
Carolina just last year, which was referenced by the Chair.
Hurricane Helene hit the State in late September of 2024 after
absentee voting had already begun and less than 3 weeks before
early voting was set to begin, and the storm caused tremendous
damage. I do not have to tell our witness about that. In
western North Carolina, more than 100 people died as a result
of that tragedy.
Election officials across the State, led by then executive
director Karen Brinson Bell, quickly got to work ensuring North
Carolinians could cast a ballot. Because of their hard work--
she and all the people who were part of the election
infrastructure--voter turnout was actually higher in the 25
disaster area counties than it was statewide, which is pretty
remarkable when you consider it. The State Board of Elections
in Buncombe County, the hardest hit area in the State, won
national awards from the Election Assistance Commission for
their emergency response and planning.
Unfortunately, Ms. Brinson Bell was recently removed from
her position after the Republicans in the North Carolina
legislature pulled what I can only describe as a blatantly
partisan takeover of this board of elections, shifting the
power to appoint the board's members from a Governor, who
happened to be a Democrat, to the State auditor, which seems
like a pretty illogical move. Anyway, thank you, Ms. Brinson
Bell, for being here today to share your experience and
expertise on this issue, and thank you to you and your staff
for the hard work in the last elections.
Look, the last comment I will make is, we need to fully
fund our elections. Election officials need additional
resources even under ideal circumstances, let alone in the
midst of natural disaster. When a disaster hits, we must make
sure they have the funds and support they need to adapt
operations and assist voters to ensure every voter can still
cast a ballot.
Last week in the Appropriations Committee, I said that $15
million in election funding that House Republicans have
proposed is certainly not enough. It is a drop in the ocean of
funding needs, and I will continue to push for additional
funding and consistent elections funding. When disaster
strikes, election administrators must provide voters with
options for casting a ballot. Later today--and I will close
with this--I am introducing the Climate Resilient Elections Act
with many of my colleagues, a bill that would require the GAO
to analyze and report on ways the Federal Government can better
assist in administering elections following a natural disaster.
It would grant funding opportunities to strengthen American
elections.
I would also say in closing--and then I will yield back,
and I appreciate the courtesy of the Chair--today is a moment
to recognize today is National Voter Registration Day, as I
think we all know. As we talk about natural disasters and the
impact they can have, we should also work to ensure that every
eligible American citizen has every opportunity to register to
vote, update their voter registration information, and cast a
ballot should they choose to do so. We certainly hope that they
will choose to do that.
Chair Lee. With that, I yield to Ranking Member Sewell for
an opening statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TERRI A. SEWELL, RANKING MEMBER OF
THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM
ALABAMA
Ms. Sewell. Thank you, Madam Chair.
As the Ranking Member of the Elections Subcommittee and the
Representative of Alabama's Civil Rights District, there is
nothing more important to me than ensuring that every eligible
voter is able to cast their ballot and have their voices heard.
I am glad that today we are focusing on the impact of
natural disasters on election operations, because my district
is under the constant threat of natural disasters. Since 1980,
Alabama has experienced 102 Federal disaster declarations.
Every year, tornadoes devastate communities I represent, from
the April 27th, 2021, tornado that claimed the lives of 64
Alabamians to the January 2023 storm that devastated my
hometown of Selma.
Every Member of Congress who has experienced a community
impacted by a natural disaster knows that extensive
coordination between local, State, and Federal partners is
required to restore basic services and infrastructure to the
people impacted by these events.
Our election administrators are not immune to these
disruptions. Natural disasters can damage or destroy polling
stations, voting machines, ballots, or other infrastructure
such as the power or delivery of the mail. They can damage or
destroy people's homes and belongings, including documents
needed to meet voter ID requirements.
Moreover, storms do not care if we are 6 months, 6 weeks,
or 6 days away from an election; election officials and Federal
partners must be prepared for all scenarios so that they can
ensure that voters are able to cast their ballots.
In the past, severe weather events such as hurricanes,
tornadoes, and wildfires had more defined seasons, but we have
seen that these seasons are lengthening. Regardless of when a
disaster hits, a community recovery from disaster and
destruction can take weeks, months, and, I can tell you, even
years.
Voters in Alabama and across the country deserve to know
that we are prepared to manage the impact of these events and
that we have plans in place to protect their access to the
ballot box. As Members of Congress, we should be working
overtime to ensure that election officials have the resources
they need to administer elections and that every voter has a
fair opportunity to cast their ballot. Voting must be
resilient, even in the face of crisis.
I cannot ignore the fact that we are holding a hearing to
discuss the impact of natural disasters on election
administration when the Trump administration is proposing to
make major cuts to FEMA, undermining climate science and
halting climate research at every turn.
The President's reckless cuts to vital services like FEMA
will increase the burden for States as they try to recover from
recent disasters and try to plan for the future. Sadly,
congressional Republicans are standing by silently as President
Trump fires staff, cuts funding, and rescinds grants from these
critical programs.
I am looking forward to our discussion today, because we
need to take a hard look at how Republicans' cuts will hurt our
disaster preparedness and place new burdens on our election
officials. If we are going to have a candid discussion, the
Federal Government must be an equal and good-faith partner in
that endeavor.
Denying climate science, cutting recovery personnel and
resources, spreading misinformation and disinformation, and
threatening to withhold resources from the President's
political opponents does not help election officials, voters,
or the security of our elections.
We must address the chronic underfunding of our elections.
It is simple as that.
We must be proactive as we think about ways to implement
policies that not only expand access to the ballot box for
every eligible voter but ensures that our election
infrastructure is resilient and does not crumble in the face of
a natural disaster.
When the next disaster strikes--and it will--it is the
American people will who suffer from the lack of preparation
and resources. We will not forget this administration's efforts
to make it harder for Americans to vote and reducing the few
resources that we currently have for election administrators.
The American people's right to vote is sacred, and I know
that I will continue to work tirelessly with my colleagues
across the aisle to make sure that we have adequate funding and
that every eligible voter has a right to vote.
With that, I would like to ask, Madam Chair, if I can have
unanimous consent to enter into the record a January 2025
report published by the Election Infrastructure Initiative
detailing the significant emergency costs experienced by
election officials during the 2024 election.
Chair Lee. Without objection, so ordered.
[The report referred to follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Ms. Sewell. I also ask unanimous consent to enter into the
record a statement from the League of Women Voters outlining
some of the ways that we can best ensure we are prepared for
natural disasters and that every voter can cast a ballot.
Chair Lee. Without objection, so ordered.
[The statement referred to follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Ms. Sewell. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Ranking Member Sewell follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON
ELECTIONS TERRI A. SEWELL
As the Ranking Member of the Elections Subcommittee and the
Representative of Alabama's Civil Rights District, there is
nothing more important to me than ensuring that every eligible
voter is able to cast their ballot and have their voices heard.
I am glad that today we are focusing on the impact of
natural disasters on election operations, because my district
is under the constant threat of natural disasters. Since 1980,
Alabama has experienced 102 Federal disaster declarations.
Every year, tornadoes devastate communities I represent, from
the April 27th, 2021, tornado that claimed the lives of 64
Alabamians to the January 2023 storm that devastated my
hometown of Selma.
Every Member of Congress who has experienced a community
impacted by a natural disaster knows that extensive
coordination between local, State, and Federal partners is
required to restore basic services and infrastructure to the
people impacted by these events. Our election administrators
are not immune to these disruptions. Natural disasters can
damage or destroy polling stations, voting machines, ballots,
or other infrastructure such as the power or delivery of the
mail. They can damage or destroy people's homes and belongings,
including documents needed to meet voter ID requirements.
Moreover, storms do not care if we are 6 months, 6 weeks,
or 6 days away from an election; election officials and Federal
partners must be prepared for all scenarios so that they can
ensure that voters are able to cast their ballots. In the past,
severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and
wildfires had more defined seasons, but we have seen that these
seasons are lengthening. Regardless of when a disaster hits, a
community recovery from disaster and destruction can take
weeks, months, and, I can tell you, even years. Voters in
Alabama and across the country deserve to know that we are
prepared to manage the impact of these events and that we have
plans in place to protect their access to the ballot box.
As Members of Congress, we should be working overtime to
ensure that election officials have the resources they need to
administer elections and that every voter has a fair
opportunity to cast their ballot. Voting must be resilient,
even in the face of crisis.
I cannot ignore the fact that we are holding a hearing to
discuss the impact of natural disasters on election
administration when the Trump administration is proposing to
make major cuts to FEMA, undermining climate science and
halting climate research at every turn. The President's
reckless cuts to vital services like FEMA will increase the
burden for States as they try to recover from recent disasters
and try to plan for the future. Sadly, congressional
Republicans are standing by silently as President Trump fires
staff, cuts funding, and rescinds grants from these critical
programs.
I am looking forward to our discussion today, because we
need to take a hard look at how Republicans' cuts will hurt our
disaster preparedness and place new burdens on our election
officials. If we are going to have a candid discussion, the
Federal Government must be an equal and good faith partner in
that endeavor.
Denying climate science, cutting recovery personnel and
resources, spreading misinformation and disinformation, and
threatening to withhold resources from the President's
political opponents does not help election officials, voters,
or the security of our elections. We must address the chronic
underfunding of our elections. It is simple as that. We must be
proactive as we think about ways to implement policies that not
only expand access to the ballot box for every eligible voter
but ensures that our election infrastructure is resilient and
does not crumble in the face of a natural disaster.
When the next disaster strikes--and it will--it is the
American people will who suffer from the lack of preparation
and resources. We will not forget this administration's efforts
to make it harder for Americans to vote and reducing the few
resources that we currently have for election administrators.
The American people's right to vote is sacred, and I know that
I will continue to work tirelessly with my colleagues across
the aisle to make sure that we have adequate funding and that
every eligible voter has a right to vote.
Chair Lee. Without objection, all other Members' opening
statements will be made part of the hearing record if they are
submitted to the Committee clerk by 5 p.m. today.
Today, we have one witness panel. I will now introduce our
witnesses.
First, we have ``Four'' Eggers, partner at Eggers, Eggers,
Eggers, & Eggers, PLLC, and current secretary of the North
Carolina State Board of Elections.
Next, we have Cord Byrd, the Secretary of State of the
great State of Florida.
Finally, we have Karen Brinson Bell, the former executive
director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Each witness will have 5 minutes to provide an opening
statement.
I now recognize Mr. Eggers for the purpose of giving his
opening statement.
STATEMENTS OF STACY ``FOUR'' EGGERS, IV, PARTNER, EGGERS,
EGGERS, EGGERS, & EGGERS, PLLC; THE HONORABLE CORD BYRD,
SECRETARY OF STATE OF FLORIDA, OFFICE OF THE FLORIDA SECRETARY
OF STATE; AND KAREN BRINSON BELL, FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS
STATEMENT OF STACY ``FOUR'' EGGERS, IV
Mr. Eggers. Thank you, Chair Lee and Ranking Members
Morelle and Sewell, for the opportunity to address your
Committee.
Between September 25th and 28th of last year, Tropical
Storm Helene inundated western North Carolina, receiving an
unprecedented amount of rainfall, consistent with a 1,000-year
storm.
This level of rainfall, coupled with the power of gravity,
caused mountain streams, creeks, and rivers to become
overwhelmed, with the speed and force of water tearing out
culverts, bridges, power lines, telecommunication lines, water
lines, and sewer lines. Mudslides and downed trees added to the
difficulties in travel and basic emergency response services.
Power and telecommunication systems were simply not
functional, and local radio stations were off the air because
they were dependent upon fiber-optic lines that no longer
existed. There was no internet service nor cell phone service
through much of the region. State roads in the area had more
than 9,000 damage sites and more than 1,400 road closures as a
result of the storm.
This storm left us 38 days until Election Day and 21 days
before early voting was to begin for the North Carolina
Presidential election.
In the 25-county disaster area, 10 of our county offices
were closed for extended periods of time due to lack of
electrical, telecommunication, internet, power, and water
service.
Thankfully, we were able to account for all of our county
election staff, and quickly took inventory of the damages and
needs for those offices.
I will start by first thanking our dedicated county
elections directors, the election staff, and poll workers for
their outstanding service and dedication in making sure our
elections are accessible and fair. These are the keys to our
success related to this.
Second, one of those keys is the bipartisan nature of how
my colleagues on the State Board of Elections and the
respective county boards came together to take emergency action
that addressed the needs of the voters with minimal political
gamesmanship.
On September 30th of 2024, we were able to issue a
bipartisan and unanimous emergency directive to allow for
flexibility in conducting absentee ballot meetings in the
affected areas.
On November 7th--or, I am sorry, on October 7th of 2024, we
also issued a bipartisan and unanimous emergency directive to
address the 13 most affected counties, allowing for changes by
those county boards of election so long as they were adopted by
a bipartisan vote.
These emergency actions provided flexibility for the
counties to adopt--again, on that bipartisan basis--changes to
meet the realities for voting in the wake of this unprecedented
storm.
At the end of the day, this turns out to be an incredible
success story for our State, as turnout in western North
Carolina was actually higher than the rest of the State.
I would caution that this higher voter turnout is not
because of our emergency changes alone. Credit for the higher
turnout belongs to the voters themselves and the civic pride
and sense of community that Americans bring to recovery from
tragedy and natural disasters.
I would also caution that these changes are not best
practices for the administration of elections. During normal
conditions, we need adequate checks and balances to make it
easy to vote yet hard to cheat. These changes were narrowly
tailored to reflect the difficult realities of recovery from
the worst natural disaster to strike western North Carolina in
living memory.
Of the lessons learned related to the natural disaster, I
would say, first, preparation is the key to a successful
election.
Second, any last-minute changes to the settled rules and
deadlines for an election should have bipartisan support.
Third, delaying or suspending elections is simply not an
option for members and administrators of elections. Regardless
of the disaster, people expect and demand elections to occur on
time. Postponing elections would be absolutely the last choice,
as it would cause rumors, chaos, and suspicion in an area with
already weakened public safety and communication resources.
It is an honor to be able to speak with you today, and I am
grateful for your service and involvement with this important
topic.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Eggers follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF STACY ``FOUR'' EGGERS, IV
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Chair Lee. I now recognize Secretary Byrd for an opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF HON. CORD BYRD
Mr. Byrd. Thank you, Chairwoman Lee and Ranking Members
Sewell and Morelle and Members of the Committee, for the
opportunity to speak before this Committee about elections
administration during natural disasters.
June 1st marked the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane
season, which in Florida means that election season coincides
with hurricane season. As such, it is imperative that we
maintain robust election emergency plans. Florida does not
delay or cancel elections, and voters must have the opportunity
to vote in fair weather or foul.
Let me begin by providing a brief background of our
elections in Florida.
Florida elections are overseen by the Secretary of State
Division of Elections and are administered by the 67 county
supervisors of elections.
By law, the Secretary of State also serves as Florida's
chief elections officer. In this role, I work closely with the
county supervisors to ensure their duties can be carried out in
accordance with the Florida Constitution and election laws.
Elections administration is challenging enough when the sun
is shining. Darkening skies compound these challenges, which
makes emergency planning and preparation vital to our success.
During the last two election cycles, in 2022 and 2024, five
severe hurricanes hit different parts of the State. Storms,
fires, floods, and power outages can all happen during a major
weather event, so we must be prepared for everything. This
includes excess humidity, which can impact ballot paper
thickness, which, in turn, can affect ballot processing.
In 2022, two major hurricanes hit Florida during the
election cycle--one 30 days before the election during the
early voting period and one during the election certification
period.
Once we ensured that people were safe, I visited the
affected counties to survey the damage. I saw firsthand the
destruction and worked with supervisors of elections in
impacted counties to determine their specific needs based on
the obstacles voters faced in that county.
Governor DeSantis then issued executive orders addressing
the needs identified by the supervisors. These orders
established additional early voting sites, amended and extended
reporting requirements, and extended deadlines for eligibility
verification for voters.
As a result of these executive actions, the 2022 election
voter turnout in the most severely impacted counties either
closely matched or exceeded statewide voter turnout for that
election year.
2024 was another active hurricane season, with three
hurricanes hitting during the 60-day election cycle. As always,
we adjusted to ensure voters had every opportunity to cast a
ballot.
The first hurricane hit just weeks before the primary
election. The second storm struck a month later, within a week
of the supervisors canvassing the first votes for the general
election. Weeks after the second storm, a third major hurricane
came ashore less than a month before the general election.
Again, I worked with the supervisors to determine their
specific needs, and Governor DeSantis acted by signing
executive orders tailored to meet those needs.
The executive orders created a streamlined process for
displaced voters to have their vote-by-mail ballots sent to
where they were living after the storms. It also gave
supervisors the ability to relocate or consolidate polling
sites or early voting sites.
We worked to ensure that first responders and linemen,
working long hours and away from home, had the opportunity to
cast their ballots. This is an important point. While displaced
voters must be afforded the opportunity to cast a ballot, so
too must the people who are responsible for the maintenance of
order and the restoration of power.
While these storms disrupted the daily lives of voters, we
ensured that it would not take away their ability to vote, and
in 2024 Florida saw its highest voter turnout in 30 years. For
example, Taylor County in Florida's panhandle received direct
hits from two of the aforementioned hurricanes, yet it saw a
90.9-percent voter turnout.
Citizens want to vote. It was truly inspiring to see people
perform their civic duty despite being displaced by these
devastating storms.
First, the natural disasters of 2022 and 2024 reinforced
the importance of excellent coordination and planning.
Second, Florida has proven that elections can still proceed
even when emergencies are looming or when a community is
recovering from disaster.
Third, Governor DeSantis has shown that executive orders
are the key to election continuity.
Importantly, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Each
emergency is different. At the State level, our role is to
assess the county's particular needs and find solutions.
Governor DeSantis and I used our executive powers to permit
flexibility when warranted while also maintaining the high
standard of election integrity established in Florida law.
Once executive action is carried out, it is important to
inform the public. During elections, my staff provides
information to supervisors and the public by issuing press
releases, pushing messages on our official social media
channels, updating our website, and answering calls to the
voter hotline.
Emergency planning begins with coordination between State
and county emergency responders and election administration
officials.
The Florida approach to elections is clear: We do not move
or delay elections. Instead, we are committed to ensuring that
voters affected by emergencies can still exercise their right
to vote.
Thank you for allowing me to testify today about how
Florida administers elections during emergencies. I look
forward to answering your questions.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Byrd follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF CORD BYRD
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Chair Lee. I now recognize Ms. Brinson Bell for the purpose
of an opening statement.
STATEMENT OF KAREN BRINSON BELL
Ms. Brinson Bell. Thanks, Chairwoman Lee and Ranking Member
Sewell and Members of the Subcommittee, for the opportunity to
share the extraordinary work of election professionals to
ensure safe and secure voting following the devastation caused
by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina in 2024.
My name is Karen Brinson Bell, and I served as North
Carolina's chief election official and executive director of
the State Board of Elections from June 2019 to May 2025.
Overseeing elections for more than 7.5 million registered
voters across 100 counties, my tenure included navigating
hurricanes, a global pandemic, and historic turnout.
My elections career began nearly 20 years ago in the
mountains of western North Carolina, so Helene's impact was
very personal.
Helene and previous disasters show the critical need for
strong communication--and early and often--with Federal, State,
and local partners, as well as steady, reliable funding and
advanced preparation.
Our voters must have confidence that they will be able to
cast a ballot and have that ballot count through any emergency.
We do that by talking early and often, planning carefully, and
ensuring all election offices have the resources they need well
in advance.
Disaster response begins long before an event. Careful
planning allowed us to act quickly when Hurricane Helene hit
western North Carolina on September 27th, 2024, dropping 30
inches of rain in Yancey County in 3 days and pushing water
down the French Broad River at more than 240,000 gallons per
second.
Preparedness meant adopting an all-hazards approach. We
trained for the unexpected and embraced the philosophy, ``We do
not stop an election; we figure out how to proceed.'' Having
managed elections during past hurricanes and the pandemic, we
knew disruptions were inevitable. The challenge was how we
respond.
When Helene struck, absentee by-mail voting had begun and
ballots were in the mail stream. On Monday, September 30th, 14
county offices could not open. We had limited ability to
communicate with local election officials and their staff. In
some cases that week, we did not know if the election staff
were OK or not.
Cell phone towers were down. There was no power and no
internet. Since analog phone lines are mostly obsolete and
email requires working computers or smartphones, communication
from county to county or across the State was difficult and
even nonexistent in some circumstances.
State emergency management immediately prioritized
elections with other critical infrastructure. Resources were
provided through emergency management, FEMA, and State
emergency funds, covering needs our regular budget could not.
These funds covered portable toilets, tents, ATVs, satellite
devices, generators, and more, much of which were delivered
within days.
We requested $2.5 million in legislative relief but only
needed $500,000, as most needs were met by State and Federal
emergency management.
Legislative funds arrived after October 10th, just a week
before early voting. Without North Carolina emergency
management and FEMA's swift action, critical needs would have
gone unmet.
In 1 week, all county offices reopened--no equipment
damage, no ballots lost, and, most importantly, no election
workers' lives lost. By October 17th, 76 of 80 planned early
voting sites in the 25-county disaster region opened on
schedule, with power. By Election Day, the vast majority of
sites were open, with little consolidation and no isolated
communities unserved. Only seven tent sites were needed.
Remarkably, western North Carolina surpassed the statewide
turnout by 2 percentage points.
Emergency authority allowed the State board to act quickly,
granting counties flexibility to adjust voting locations,
appoint voting site officials from outside the precinct as
needed, and allow absentee voters to return ballots to any
county. By State law, affected voters could indicate ``natural
disaster'' as an exception for showing voter ID.
September is National Preparedness Month. We are also
approaching the 1-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene. We
delivered voting in North Carolina because of advance
preparation, strong communication, and intentional partnership
with Federal, State, and local emergency management and other
support structures who provided funding and resources in an
emergency.
However, we cannot let our guard down or become complacent,
as natural disasters will continue to occur and likely at the
time of elections, given our Nation's election schedule. We
cannot retract resources or funding. Rather, more needs to be
dedicated to the effort to ensure voting continues and ballots
are counted no matter the circumstances.
Thank you for inviting me to testify, and I welcome your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Brinson Bell follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF KAREN BRINSON BELL
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Chair Lee. Thank you.
I will begin our questions today, followed by the Ranking
Member. I now recognize myself for the purpose of questioning
our witnesses.
Secretary Byrd, I would like to begin with you and discuss
the coordination between the Florida Department of State and
State and local emergency management officials.
Would you share with us a bit about that coordination and
how coordinating with local emergency management prepares
election administrators across the State for incidents of
severe weather.
Mr. Byrd. Thank you, Chairwoman Lee, for the question.
Certainly, as my predecessor in Florida, you are no stranger to
the issues of hurricanes in Florida.
At the county level--because that is where the elections
are administered--we encourage the supervisor of elections to
coordinate with their local county emergency management.
Then, of course, we have emergency management at the State
level. As a storm approaches and once we have ensured that all
lives are safe and secure, then we can strain (ph) resources
from the State level. We have resources prepositioned
throughout the State. We have individuals who are prepositioned
from our office in the places--or around the State and then
certainly in the areas where there is going to be a hurricane.
With elections being critical infrastructure, we can surge
resources to them. If I am in communication with the supervisor
and--whatever they need, from clearing a road to getting power
back up and running, to internet connection and service,
whatever those needs are, because they are critical
infrastructure, we can then work with State emergency
management to work with local emergency management to get the
resources up and running.
Chair Lee. In particular--those are some great examples--
how does your office ensure effective communication? Because
one of the things that typically happens in these kinds of
storms is a loss of, potentially, cell signal or loss of power.
What can you all do to help ensure communication from State to
local election officials, especially if those regular lines of
communication are unavailable after a storm?
Mr. Byrd. Certainly we have satellite phones that are
available to us in case communications go down.
Fortunately, in Florida, because of our long history with
hurricanes, much of the infrastructure is now being--is placed
underground, which limits some of the ability for those types
of communications to be knocked out.
We are utilizing services like Starlink to be able to get
resources to a supervisor's office.
Those are some of the examples of how we maintain
communication.
As I said in the answer to my--or my previous answer, we
have individuals that are prepositioned around the State from
our office to be directly communicating, to be boots on the
ground, in the affected areas.
Chair Lee. What other key lessons can other States learn
from Florida, where election season so routinely coincides with
hurricanes?
Mr. Byrd. Once again, prepositioning resources;
tabletopping or game-planning the scenarios, what is going on
happen.
Then really, you know, having that communication with the
individual supervisors so that--we want to use a scalpel to
pinpoint exactly what resources they need and provide--we want
to make as few changes to our election system as possible, so
we really want to take a targeted approach and meet the needs
of that individual county. In one storm, we may have a flooding
event in one county but it could be power outages in another
county. There are going to be different needs, so it is not a
one-size-fits-all approach.
Chair Lee. Mr. Eggers, what Secretary Byrd just said
reminds me of one of your comments in your opening statement
about finding the right remedies and targeting those remedies
to fit the needs that develop in a situation.
Would you describe for us, please, the type of logistical
problems that Hurricane Helene caused for your election
procedures, particularly in western North Carolina, and how you
all adapted to meet those challenges?
Mr. Eggers. Thank you, Chair Lee.
The logistics were, first and foremost, communication,
because we had no communication between the various counties
and the State to address those items. That was handled in a
number of different ways, between the Starlinks being
delivered, but also just by word of mouth, by folks going from
one county to another.
Our first emergency resolution, I had to inform a county
board of elections that we had canceled several of their
meetings on their behalf, and they said, ``Good. We could not
get anyone here to do that.''
It is a process of building communication first and then
building the infrastructure back so that you can get what is
needed both through local emergency management, through State
emergency management, and on up the chain. Logistics are the
key for building back those precincts in those locations that
are critical to our access.
Chair Lee. Thank you, Secretary Eggers.
I now recognize the Ranking Member for 5 minutes of
questions.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Brinson Bell, the administration has, as I mentioned in
my opening comments--they are cutting Federal Government staff,
resources that focus on elections as well as critical disaster
preparedness programs.
In your written testimony, you mentioned critical
partnerships and resources, agencies like CISA, EAC, emergency
management, and other Federal partners.
As election officials assess and plan for the next
election, how will the loss of these partnerships and resources
impact contingency planning and training? How will election
officials utilize the resources they have to fill these gaps?
Frankly, is there enough--do they have enough resources to fill
some of these gaps?
Ms. Brinson Bell. Thank you for that question.
Election administrators across the country are certainly
concerned about the reduced support that we are receiving from
the Federal agencies, particularly CISA. That was a critical
partnership in helping us to build out what was really a 6-year
plan in how we were ready for Helene.
In North Carolina, we met monthly with our State, Federal,
and local partners in preparation for any hazard that might be
necessary to conduct an election through. We had them onsite
with us during elections, as we positioned ourselves at the
emergency operations center.
We very much utilized the Tabletop the Vote exercise, which
I am not sure will continue with the reduced support. That
actually had us well-prepared, because we took Tabletop the
Vote to a statewide exercise that we then delivered to local--
the 100 counties, for them to exercise with their local
emergency management, State IT and county IT, you know, various
partners, law enforcement and so forth, to ensure that, no
matter the hazard, that we were prepared. I think that is why
we were able to pivot so quickly.
I also mentioned that the Federal funding was critical in
those first few days. It was not a matter of how much we had;
it was a matter of--the questions to us were, what do you need,
and those things were delivered. You know, for example, a
portable toilet was not available in Yancey County to the
elections office. They did not have those resources. Emergency
management and FEMA got those in place.
The same with the seven tent sites that we used. FEMA
delivered those tents; FEMA provided the security for that. I
am not sure, given some of the cuts, if we are really in a
position to ensure that that takes place.
The legislature certainly provided funding, but it took
until October 10th for that to come through. The Federal
Government and the State emergency fund, in particular, were
the ones who met the need immediately.
Mr. Morelle. I am curious--in Fiscal Year 2023, the
appropriation for election assistance from the Federal
Government was $75 million. We passed out of the Appropriations
Committee an amount of $15 million, so a cut of 80 percent from
2023.
I am just curious. In North Carolina, what does it cost to
run a statewide Presidential general election?
Ms. Brinson Bell. The survey in 2016, post-Presidential
election, was that the cost was $17 million. We know this
because North Carolina is the only State that requires the
voting equipment vendors to post a bond to be certified as a
voting equipment supplier in North Carolina.
We just completed that survey, and the board just adopted
the new bond amount, which is over $35 million to conduct a new
election in the State of North Carolina.
At $75 million, you know, all of that is halfway spent in
North Carolina alone. Fifteen million does not even get it
done. You know, it is costly to conduct a new election.
Mr. Morelle. Yes.
You may have said this, and I may have missed it. What was
the additional cost in 2024 as a result of the natural
disaster? If you have a baseline amount--you said $75 million,
roughly. What was the additional cost of the hurricane?
Ms. Brinson Bell. You know, the additional costs were
really not something that we had to bring out of our budget.
There was $2.5 million allotted by the legislature. We spent
about $500,000, a lot of that on efforts to communicate to the
voters through a media campaign and so forth.
The actual other expenditures were absorbed through State
and Federal funding, through FEMA and the State emergency fund.
Mr. Morelle. Yes. OK. I do appreciate that.
Rather than going over, because I am sure my next question
would elicit a longer answer, I am going to yield back again.
Thank you to everybody for being here.
Madam Chair.
Chair Lee. Thank you.
I now recognize the gentleman from North Carolina, Dr.
Murphy, for 5 minutes.
Dr. Murphy. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Thank you guys for coming today.
I live over in the east, and we have those little whirly
storms a little bit more over in our neck of the woods than
they do in the west. Actually, I went in a helicopter and
surveyed the damage with Senators Tillis and Budd just 3 days
afterwards, and it was cataclysmic. How you guys got anything
done is a testament to hard work.
You know, I hear constantly now, it is the cry of, ``The
Federal Government is not paying enough.'' We are hurdling
toward a financial sovereign debt crisis, and it is time,
actually, for States to stop screaming for the Federal
Government to pay and now States take a little bit more burden.
It is great that in North Carolina people had the
foresight, through the General Assembly, to establish a rainy
day fund. Hell, that is what it is there for, when it is a
rainy day or one of those things. It is glad that they had the
speed with which to work and to be able to fund you in ways
that we have.
If there are discrepancies as we move forward, it is time
for the State to step up. We cannot default the--we cannot
bankrupt the country, because we have things that need to be
funded, when States can do these also.
Just to kind of follow-up with this, with what you guys are
going through, I believe you really did a very Herculean job in
pulling this off. Whether it changed elections, I do not know,
but I still think the fact that we were able to get people to
vote when literally so many roads were washed out is a miracle.
Mr. Eggers, let me just ask a couple questions of you.
How did the State's board, which is a bipartisan board, how
did that come into play to try actually effectuating
availability of voting sites and how things get done, and
hopefully did politics play a role?
Mr. Eggers. Yes, sir, I am very proud of the work my
colleagues and I were able to do related to tailoring what was
needed for emergency relief to a bipartisan nature so that we
could target those items that could address necessary changes,
such as relocating polling places if the site or building had
been destroyed or washed away, while not taking steps that
would try and give partisan advantage to either side.
It was a good show of the American spirit of coming
together in the wake of a disaster, not in the name of politics
but in the name of, how can we restore consistency to the
process? Because consistency in elections builds confidence in
elections. That is what the voters are looking for.
Dr. Murphy. That is very heartening to hear. In these days
of horrible partisanship and violence, it is a good testament
for North Carolina to be able to do that.
If you had to give a percentage of people that you did not
feel had access to be able to vote merely because of the storm,
could you postulate on what that might be?
Mr. Eggers. That would be difficult to come up with an
answer, to come up with that solution.
I would say that, based upon the changes and the work that
were done and also the records and the procedures taken by both
the county boards and by their staff, we were able to open all
but almost seven precincts--in, say, Buncombe County, which has
200,000 voters--and get voters information to where they could
still get to a voting site.
I would like to think we were able to mitigate the impact
of the storm as far as the accessibility and availability of
voting to voters, and I am not aware of any voters who stated
that they were unable to vote in the most recent Presidential
election.
Dr. Murphy. Great. Again, testament to a good bipartisan
nature in North Carolina. Hats off to you guys.
Just one other question, and then I will shut up. The State
board allows the local boards to have some flexibility in what
they do. Was that good? Bad? Indifferent? How well did that
play into the situation?
Mr. Eggers. It worked well in all but one county. In one
county, I believe there was a little bit of gamesmanship that
was attempted. Ultimately, the legislature stepped in on a
bipartisan basis and was able to restore a number of sites that
had been cut----
Dr. Murphy. Can you expound upon that?
Mr. Eggers. Yes, sir. In Henderson County, they
consolidated all of their sites to one central site. It
resulted in long lines and crowded parking lots. The
legislature adjusted their plan, on a bipartisan basis, such
that there was more accessibility to the rural areas of the
county and the harder-to-reach areas of the county.
Otherwise, I think all the decisions were, of course,
bipartisan and were a great success.
Dr. Murphy. Great. I mean, that is a testament. Because,
you know, given the hostile nature of what politics is these
days, I think it is a good lesson for everybody to have
examples that people can actually work together, let them vote,
let the voters decide, and be as it is.
Thank you, Madam Chairman. I will yield back.
Chair Lee. Great.
I now recognize the gentlelady from Illinois, Mrs. Miller,
for 5 minutes.
Mrs. Miller. Thank you, Chairwoman.
Thank you to our witnesses today.
Secretary Byrd, thank you for your testimony and for
offering your perspective as the chief election officer for a
State that has long faced natural disasters during the fall
election season.
It definitely is a credit to the work of Florida's election
officials that, despite facing three hurricanes during the 2024
election, Florida saw the highest voter turnout in 30 years.
My question is, how does your office guarantee the
integrity of a displaced voter's ballot?
Mr. Byrd. This goes once again to being in communication
with the elected supervisor of elections in that county and
asking what their specific needs are.
For example, if there are a high number of displaced
voters, we change some of the rules to allow a vote-by-mail
ballot to be sent to the location where they were displaced.
Where typically that request has to be in writing, we allowed
them to call in and make that request of the supervisor. That
is one example.
Once again, not just the people that are affected but the
people who--the emergency responders, our first responders, our
linemen, the people who are making sure the power and safety--
the power comes back on and the safety--making sure that they
are able to vote, because many of them come from counties where
they could be able to vote but now they are in the county that
has been impacted.
Mrs. Miller. Thank you.
When entire counties or localities must be evacuated, how
do local election supervisors safeguard election infrastructure
and supplies that are necessary to run polling locations?
Mr. Byrd. Well, they are the real heroes. I mean, they are
the ones who--they stay in their counties. I mean, I was on the
phone with a supervisor of elections who had 3 feet of water in
her home. She was still doing her job. She was on the phone
with us.
Once she made sure that all of her people were safe--I
mean, her mission, she was elected to do that job. They are
staying; they are not evacuating. They are staying in their
county. They are going out as soon as it is safe to go to the
polling sites to see which are still operable, which are down,
and what we need to do to then get resources to get those sites
back up and running.
Mrs. Miller. Mr. Eggers, in your written testimony, you
rightly point out that delaying or suspending elections should
never be an option.
As your office managed the aftermath of the storm that hit
North Carolina, how did provisional ballots come into play
during the 2024 general election when the western part of the
State was heavily hit?
Mr. Eggers. Part of the changes that we made related to the
processing of ballots was to allow absentee ballots to be
turned in in other localities and locations.
We were fortunately able to restore connectivity to the
State, so that allowed counties to have their voter rolls
accessible to them, so that minimized the need for provisional
ballots in the various counties.
I have noted in my statement that, even if we lost all
communications and a county needed to run an election or a
precinct needed to run an election with no communication, with
no computers, with no documentation, that they could do so with
pens, paper, and a place to store them, and, ideally, envelopes
for provisional ballots. Really, just pen and paper and a
waterproof container can run an election in America.
Mrs. Miller. Are there lessons learned from Hurricane
Helene that you think will change the way certain practices
will be implemented either before or after a natural disaster
strikes?
Mr. Eggers. Yes. In western North Carolina, we are not used
to hurricanes. We can handle a snowstorm; we are used to that.
When it came to a storm that destroyed all of our
infrastructure, it really highlighted the fact that all of our
communications are fiber-optic and they are all land-based and
that we needed a backup system. That is something that each of
the counties simply did not have, to have a satellite phone,
such as Secretary Byrd has mentioned, and some of those
practices.
I know we are looking at some of the things that Florida
does as best practices so that we can implement those in North
Carolina and prepare for natural disasters that we think would
not affect us.
Mrs. Miller. Thank you for your testimony.
I yield back.
Chair Lee. Without objection, and at the request of
Representative Bice from Oklahoma, I would like to insert an
article into the record. The Fox News article is entitled,
``Oklahoma power outages linger after ice storm, here is why
Election Day will not be impacted.''
[The article referred to follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chair Lee. I would like to thank our witnesses for
appearing before us today.
Members of the Committee may have some additional questions
for you, and we ask that you please respond to those questions,
if any, in writing.
Without objection, each Member will have 5 legislative days
to insert additional material into the record or to revise and
extend their remarks.
[The written testimony of the Southern Poverty Law Center
follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chair Lee. If there is no further business, I thank the
Members for their participation, and, without objection, the
Subcommittee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 3:53 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
[all]