Floods, fires and other natural hazards are posing a growing threat to democracy, with at least 94 elections and referendums in 52 countries disrupted over the past two decades, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The study, published by Stockholm‑based International IDEA to mark Earth Day on 22 April, found that between 2006 and 2025 at least 26 polls were postponed in whole or in part due to disasters. In 2024 alone, extreme weather disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries.
“From hurricanes and floods to wildfires and heatwaves, these events are damaging infrastructure, displacing voters and forcing last‑minute changes to electoral processes,” International IDEA said.
The report, titled Managing Natural Hazards and Climate Risks in Elections, cited Hurricane Sandy’s impact on the 2012 US federal election, Turkey’s 2023 earthquake, a 2025 Philippine heatwave, Bosnia’s 2024 floods and landslides, and Mozambique’s 2019 cyclones.
“As climate‑related risks intensify, the pressure on already fragile democratic systems is expected to grow,” the report warned.
King’s College London professor Sarah Birch said the findings highlight the importance of election timing. “Elections should be held when disasters are least likely; in some cases, electoral management bodies will also need to consider alterations to election timelines to reduce the likelihood of disruption by short‑lived disasters,” she said.
The report noted that Alberta’s provincial legislature in Canada has moved its fixed election date from May, during wildfire season, to October starting in 2027.
Beyond immediate disruption, extreme weather can have long‑term effects on democracy. “Precarity and trauma from natural hazards can exacerbate affected citizens’ existing grievances, facilitate the spread of conspiracy theories and impose additional hardship on society’s most vulnerable people,” the report said.
International IDEA urged governments to treat elections as “critical infrastructure” vulnerable to environmental threats and to integrate electoral processes into national climate adaptation plans and disaster risk reduction strategies.
