WASHINGTON – The weather forecast for most of the country will be mostly calm for Election Day, with large parts of the East and West ribs remaining dry, but a cold front extending across the heart of the country will be the focal point of scattered showers and thunderstorms.

The frontal border will mean towns like Chicago, St. Louis and even Tulsa, Oklahomawill be in the rain zone, and behind the front, cooler air will exist over much of the Rockies and Plains. Those in the Northwest could have snow in the forecast for Election Day.

Tuesday, November 5, Election Day forecast. (FOX Weather)

According to the FOX Forecast Center, some battleground states including Michigan And Wisconsinare likely to see rain on Election Day. Meanwhile, temperatures in the north Nevada expected to drop below freezing where snow is possible.

Western voters North Carolina will vote following HeleneIt’s a deadly flood. As cleanup efforts continue across the region, temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s in places like Ashevillewhich was hit hard by the devastation flood.

A couple reunites after voting at an early voting location in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on October 29, 2024, a month after Hurricane Helene hit the area. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images)

Political experts say the weather conditions on Election Day — whether rainy or sunny — can influence voter enthusiasm. However, with more than half the country voting before November 5, Election Day is increasingly looking like an extended election period rather than just an important day.

A University studies 2007 found that Republican-leaning voters outnumbered those voting Democratic in rainy weather. The researchers found that voter turnout declined by about 1% per inch of rain, and snowfall a decrease in participation rate of almost half a percent for every centimeter of accumulation.

While the majority of the electorate takes advantage of early voting methods, millions of people will have nothing to do on Election Day but sit back and watch the results.

Dr David Richardsassociate professor and political chair at the University of Lynchburghas been monitoring voting trends for decades and says changes are happening.

“In-person early voting has skyrocketed as people get used to the idea that they have time to go vote,” Richards said. “They don’t need to wait and do it on Election Day – like they traditionally do. This is a generational change that took several election cycles for people to get used to.”

On the temperature front, most of the country will experience warmer than average temperatures, with pockets of cold air centered on Utah and the west WE

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Impact of hurricanes on recent elections

Hurricanes Helene And Milton carved a path of destruction through several battleground states, leading to changes in the voting process.

Hit hard North CarolinaThe State Board of Elections made it easier for residents of the 13 hardest-hit counties to vote.

THE North Carolina State Board of Elections Reports These efforts include allowing voters to pick up their absentee ballots from their local county election office up until the day before the election and return them to any polling place or election office in the county until November 5.

Other developments were made in Florida And Georgia to ease the stress of voting for hurricane victims.

Despite the damage caused by the billions disastersthe impacts on the electoral system appear minor and do not prevent people from voting.

“I think it’s interesting to see that the turnout doesn’t seem depressing and that we saw these record early days in North Carolina and Georgia, which were the hardest hit states, particularly with the first storm,” Richards said.

In fact, these disasters could actually serve as a galvanizing force among potential voters.

Richards suggested residents could go to the polls earlier to avoid being trapped by a future disaster or to gauge the government’s response.

Major disasters, such as widespread disasters flood and hurricanes, have long influenced voter enthusiasm in the run-up to important elections.

For example, in 1992, FEMA’s response to Hurricane Andrew in South Florida was widely considered inadequate by the public, putting the state’s 25 electoral votes at stake.

Likewise, in 2012, Superstorm Sandy that swept across the eastern United States, impacting President Barack Obama’s re-election.

At that time, national exit poll indicated that the hurricane response was an important factor for 15% of voters.

Despite five landfall systems during the 2024 hurricane season, Richards noted that extensive research will likely be needed to determine whether extreme weather conditions had no effect on voters.

WEATHER CAN IMPACT VOTER TURNOUT

Coping with electoral stress

One of the main questions Richards says he asks his students and the general public revolves around waiting for the votes to be tabulated.

Many he calls “doom-scrolling” through social media to try to determine which candidate might be ahead — something the political science professor advises against and offers some advice.

“I would encourage people to get out. Politics is very important, but at the end of the day there are a lot of things in life that matter – a lot of other things you can focus on: your job, your familyyour recreational time. There will be a winner and there will be a loser. This is how our process works. And it’s not the end of the world” Richards said.

For those interested in the results, Richards said there will be a few races in progress. Virginia and across the country to watch this look like a barometer for the country.

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, the race to watch will be the 2nd Congressional District for the House of Representatives – the district is usually a barometer for determining which party will control the U.S. House of Representatives.

And in Ohio And Montanaincumbent senators are running for reelection, which could help shift the balance of power in the upper house of the U.S. Congress.

To watch election results live: Click here.

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