As the November 3, 2026 election approaches, the window for meaningful preparedness activities is narrowing. Elections are critical public functions and should be planned for with the same rigor applied to other essential government services. One of the most effective steps election officials can take today is to establish and strengthen relationships with their local emergency management partners before a disruption occurs. If you wait until an incident unfolds to build those relationships, it is already too late. An emergency manager can serve as a force multiplier by helping election officials coordinate, prioritize, and obtain support as disruptions occur during the election cycle. Think of your emergency management counterpart as a symphony conductor with a deep network of public, private, and nonprofit partners.
With the election approaching, there is still time to take focused, practical steps with your counterpart, whether you are an election official or an emergency manager.
Establish a relationship
It is as simple as an email or phone call to introduce yourself to your counterpart. Use that introduction call to set up a meeting to talk through the election calendar and requirements. This conversation does not need to be particularly complicated. It should be focused on building a basic understanding of each other’s roles and how you can work together to ensure the election can be conducted safely and securely no matter the hazard.
At that first meeting, we recommend covering the following topics that we will go into more detail on below:
- Review the election calendar including when early voting starts, when by-mail ballots are mailed out all the way through to canvassing and certification of results.
- Location mapping of voting, processing, counting and storage facilities
- Election prioritization during an emergency
- Create a must-have supplies list
- Continuity of operations, alternate facilities and emergency decision authorities
- Public information coordination and emergency resource request procedures
If you are unsure who your counterpart may be, start with your local or county government directory.
| Election Officials | Emergency Management Professionals |
|---|---|
| Election administration | Preparedness |
| Election laws | Planning |
| Election operations | Continuity |
| Polling place management | Risk assessment |
| Ballot processing | Situational awareness |
| Election technology | Stakeholder coordination |
| Election workers | Resource management |
| Voter engagement | Training and exercises |
| Election-specific decision-making | Response and recovery operations |
| Consequence management |
Review Election Calendar and Timeline
It is important to establish that elections are not a single Tuesday in November. The initial conversation should outline the full election cycle from your meeting forward. Identify when mail ballots will begin entering the mail stream. If your jurisdiction has early in-person voting, be sure to share when that starts, the hours of operation, and when these locations shut down. The election doesn’t end when polls close. Be sure your emergency manager also knows the timelines for canvassing, certification, audits and recounts. These activities are not well known and may not be something that emergency managers are tracking as important activities for the security and reliability of the election.
Location Mapping of Voting, Drop Box, Counting and Storage Facilities
These physical locations can be vulnerable to physical, technological, and human-caused hazards. In addition to severe weather, wildfire, and infrastructure failures, planning should account for cyber incidents, communications outages, supply chain disruptions, staffing shortages, civil disturbances, and false threat reports. Many local emergency managers maintain situational awareness tools where locations can be loaded into geographical information systems used by departments across the organization. By ensuring that emergency management is aware of each location and its critical functions, officials can identify appropriate preparedness, mitigation, response, and continuity measures for the hazard.
Public works has a major infrastructure project in an area with multiple voting locations and expects intermittent power interruptions. Because the emergency manager understands the election schedule and affected sites, they coordinate with public works and election officials to identify mitigation options. Although the project cannot be delayed, advance notification and temporary generator support allow voting operations to continue with minimal interruption. Before deployment, officials confirm that each generator is compatible with facility requirements and that safe fueling, placement, and operation procedures are established.
In many jurisdictions, emergency management works closely with the 911 communications center. A caller reports an active shooter at a church being used as a voting location but provides limited information. Because false threat and swatting incidents can target voting locations, the jurisdiction follows established 911 and law enforcement protocols to assess the report while treating it as a potential emergency. Law enforcement responds, the election office is notified through a designated contact, and officials use predetermined protective action and continuity procedures. Any decision to evacuate, shelter, temporarily suspend voting, or relocate operations is coordinated under applicable law and local emergency procedures. The priority is protecting life while preserving access to voting and avoiding the spread of unverified information.
A wildfire breaks out in the forest in December in a secluded part of the county that does not have any homes. However, the election office owns a large warehouse where voting equipment and voting records are stored in the area. As emergency management begins to set up firefighting response, they identify the warehouse is potentially in the path of the fire. The emergency manager contacts the local election official to notify them of the risk to the warehouse. The election official notifies the emergency manager that 2-3 security guards are likely onsite and will need to be evacuated. They also remind the emergency manager that access to the facility is legally limited to election office staff only. Emergency management works with the fire department to safely evacuate the workers and address the wildfire so that the warehouse does not receive damage.
Determine Election Office Prioritization
Election officials should understand where election activities fall within local emergency priorities. During a widespread power outage, for example, hospitals, 911 centers, water systems, and other life-safety facilities may receive generators or restoration support before other government functions. This conversation helps set realistic expectations and prompts officials to identify alternate pathways, such as facility-owned backup power, prearranged commercial support, relocation options, or partner resources. Election officials and emergency managers should also agree in advance on how to request assistance, who has authority to approve a request, what information must be provided, and how requests will be tracked and prioritized.
Plan for Continuity of Operations
Election officials and emergency managers should spend time identifying the functions that must continue under any circumstances. These generally include maintaining voter access, protecting ballots and voting systems, preserving election records, sustaining communications with the public, and meeting statutory election deadlines. Together, they should discuss what actions would be taken if a polling location becomes unusable, election headquarters is evacuated, internet or telephone service is interrupted, key personnel become unavailable, or a natural disaster affects multiple facilities simultaneously. The goal is not to predict every emergency, but to develop flexible response options that allow election operations to continue, adapt, and recover while maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
Create a Must-Have Supplies List
Emergency managers should be prepared to help an election office identify support needed to conduct a safe and secure election. However, resources may be limited, committed elsewhere, or unavailable unless requirements are identified early. Election officials should create a prioritized list that distinguishes mission-essential items from helpful items and includes quantities, specifications, delivery locations, responsible contacts, and acceptable alternatives. Sharing that list in advance allows emergency management to identify sources, clarify request procedures, and determine where mutual aid, vendors, or partner organizations may be needed.
Coordinate Public Information
Election officials and emergency managers should agree on how election day and incident information will be verified, approved, and shared with voters, poll workers, partners, and the media. Whether the issue is severe weather, a power outage, a cyber incident, or a security concern, timely and consistent messaging from trusted officials can reduce confusion, counter rumors, direct voters to authoritative information, and maintain public confidence. Designate primary and backup spokespersons, confirm notification channels, and prepare adaptable message templates before an incident occurs.
Conclusion
Elections are among the most visible and important functions of government. Whether the hazard is severe weather, infrastructure failure, cyber disruption, wildfire, or a security incident, strong relationships between election officials and emergency managers can reduce risk and support continuity of operations. Building those relationships starts with a simple phone call. Make that call today and begin preparing together for a safe, secure, and resilient election so every voter has the opportunity to be heard.