Managing Natural Hazards and Climate Risks in Elections in the Americas Workshop
Managing Natural Hazards and Climate Risks in Elections in the Americas is an online workshop examining a growing but often overlooked challenge: how can democratic elections continue to function when communities are confronting heatwaves, hurricanes, floods, wildfires and other natural hazards? Hosted by King’s College London and co-sponsored by International IDEA, the September 9, 2026 workshop brings together researchers and electoral practitioners to explore ways election systems can anticipate disruption, protect voters and maintain electoral integrity when emergencies occur.
The discussion moves from theory to real-world experience. Speakers will examine the effects of heatwaves on Mexico’s 2024 elections, natural-hazard preparedness in Peru, Hurricane Sandy and the 2012 U.S. election, and Canada’s 2023 wildfires and subnational elections. Commentators include representatives from International IDEA and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The workshop builds on International IDEA’s 2026 Managing Natural Hazards and Climate Risks in Elections report, which analyzed more than 100 disaster-disrupted elections between 2006 and 2025 and examined strategies electoral management bodies have used to reduce disruption and strengthen electoral resilience. The larger lesson extends beyond election administration: climate resilience, infrastructure resilience and democratic resilience are becoming increasingly interconnected.
Additional Details
What You'll Learn
Participants will learn how extreme weather and natural hazards can disrupt different stages of the electoral process—and how election authorities can prepare for, respond to and recover from those disruptions. Case studies from Mexico, Peru, the United States and Canada will illustrate practical challenges and approaches to protecting elections under increasingly difficult environmental conditions. Participants should also gain a broader understanding of how risk management, emergency preparedness and institutional resilience can be incorporated into election planning rather than treated only as emergency responses after a disaster occurs. This is consistent with the strategies examined in International IDEA's companion report
Why This Matters
Climate risk is becoming democracy risk. Elections depend on functioning infrastructure, transportation, communications, public facilities, trained personnel and people's ability to safely reach and participate in the electoral process. Floods, fires, storms and extreme heat can disrupt any of these systems. International IDEA's research documents more than 100 elections affected by natural hazards between 2006 and 2025. That means strengthening electoral resilience increasingly requires connecting democracy planning with climate adaptation, disaster-risk reduction, infrastructure planning and community resilience
Action Level - LEARN
What You'll Leave With
Participants should leave with: A clearer understanding of how natural hazards affect elections. Lessons from election disruptions and responses in Mexico, Peru, Canada and the United States. Examples of strategies electoral authorities can use to strengthen preparedness and resilience. A systems-level understanding of the relationship between climate resilience and democratic resilience. Access to International IDEA's extensive 2026 report and case-study collection on managing natural hazards and climate risks in elections
Best For - Community Leaders, Systems Designers, Students, Journalists / Media, Businesses, Local Governments, Policymakers, NGOs / Civil Society
Systems It Connects To - Circularity & Whole-System Design, Clean & Renewable Energy, ICT & Cybersecurity, Smarter Cities & Communities, Mobility & Transportation, Ethical Finance, Water, Infrastructure, Supply Chains
Languages - Englist
Practical Next Step - After the workshop, identify one climate or natural-hazard vulnerability in your own election or community infrastructure and ask: What would fail first—and what needs to be strengthened before the next emergency? Then use International IDEA's research and case studies to begin mapping dependencies between elections, emergency management, communications, transportation, energy, public facilities and community access. For policymakers and election administrators, the next practical step is to incorporate natural-hazard scenarios into election preparedness, continuity and resilience planning.