Preparing for the Storm (and Other Natural Disasters)

Bridging the gaps between research, election administration and emergency management

Election officials have to be prepared for anything. But a 2025 survey of local election officials found that less than half had coordinated with emergency response agencies before the 2024 general election. Unfortunately, we know that natural disasters are a matter of “when,” not “if.” Fortunately, more and more attention is being paid to what election officials can do to prepare themselves, their offices, and their jurisdictions.

Join us Tuesday, June 30, at 1 p.m. ET for a practical discussion with election experts about emergency preparedness, fostering resilient elections, and what election officials can do to get ready for when disaster strikes.

As part of this Books & Ballots conversation, Karen Brinson Bell (Advance Elections; MEDSL) will discuss the Partnership for Elections and Emergency Response, a new national initiative to bridge the critical gap between election administration and emergency management. Drs. Paul Manson (Portland State University) and Mara Suttmann-Lea (Connecticut College) will highlight practical takeaways and findings from their respective research into election officials’ disaster response.

With the 2026 election cycle already underway, we’ll talk about what election officials can be doing now to shore up their readiness for whatever natural disasters may strike. We’ll also discuss the long term, including what officials should be thinking about to start building the groundwork for even more resilient elections.

Books & Ballots is a webinar series – and now found on Substack and as a podcast on Spotify – hosted in partnership with Ready for Tuesday, the Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR), and MIT Election Data + Science Lab (MEDSL).