A group of nearly 40 lawmakers in the House sent letters to the Biden administration and United States Postal Service asking for additional information and resources to aid local election offices in states impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The group, led by led by Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams, warned that the “situation is dire.” 

What You Need To Know

  • House lawmakers sent letters to the Biden administration and United States Postal Service asking for additional information and resources to aid local election offices in states impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton

  • In the letter addressed to the White House, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security and National Security Council, the lawmakers requested  that $500,000 in FEMA Emergency Work Public Assistance funds be allocated to the election offices in each state affected by the storms 
  • In the letter addressed to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, meanwhile, the lawmakers noted that postal service has been suspended in multiple areas impacted by the hurricanes and many residents are displaced from their homes, leading to the potential for disruption of the flow of election mail like absentee ballots and voter registration forms
  • The lawmakers asked USPS to provide a public list of zip codes facing service disruptions as well as information on where mail from these areas is being rerouted or held
  • North Carolina and Georgia are key battlegrounds in this year’s election and early in-person voting begins in those two states next week 

“This catastrophic storm has caused extensive damage and disruptions across seven states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee,” the lawmakers wrote in one of the letters. “As a result, many local election offices are grappling with significant operational challenges that threaten the integrity of the upcoming November election.” 

In the letter addressed to the White House, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security and National Security Council, the lawmakers requested  that $500,000 in FEMA Emergency Work Public Assistance funds be allocated to the election offices in each state affected by the storms. 

The group of House members noted that local election offices in hard hit areas have been forced to close while others are facing flooding and power outages. The money, they argue, will allow officials in those areas to deploy mobile voting units where polling locations were destroyed, assess ballot damage and delivery disruptions, replace equipment damaged by water and supply generators for polling locations without power. 

The group added that it is “imperative” that the requested funds be allocated within the next 10 days, noting that early voting is already underway in some states across the country. 

In the letter addressed to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, meanwhile, the lawmakers noted that postal service has been suspended in multiple areas impacted by the hurricanes and many residents are displaced from their homes, leading to the potential for disruption of the flow of election mail like absentee ballots and voter registration forms. 

In light of this, the lawmakers asked USPS to provide a public list of zip codes facing service disruptions, as well as information on where mail from these areas is being rerouted or held. 

The letter also requests the USPS answer a list of questions, including what steps it is taking to prioritize the delivery of election mail in the wake of the hurricanes. 

More than 220 people have died while thousands are still without power and many are coping with damage and destruction to property after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida two weeks ago and swept through multiple states in the Southeast, hitting North Carolina and Georgia particularly hard. This week, a second hurricane, Milton, made landfall less than 100 miles from Tampa, Fla., bringing more destruction to the Sunshine state.

North Carolina and Georgia are key battlegrounds in this year’s election, and early in-person voting begins in those two states next week.