Hurricane Sandy, the tropical cyclone that hit the East Coast on October 29th, left a disaster in her wake. The East Coast was greatly affected by this storm, and many people did not have access to electricity and hot water for days. Felled trees and power lines filled the streets, and over one hundred people were killed. The National Hurricane Center ranked Sandy the second costliest US hurricane since 1990.
As people come together and work to repair the storm’s physical damage, one might wonder how Sandy will affect the upcoming presidential election on November 6, 2012.
There are multiple ways the East Coast’s recent hurricane may affect the election. New York and New Jersey are two states that were severely affected by Sandy. Flooding and damage to infrastructure will surely prevent a significant amount of people from voting this Election Day.
Due to the storm, Obama and Romney both canceled trips and momentarily halted their campaigns. On Wednesday, when the worst of the storm was over, Romney went straight to swing state Florida. He visited several cities, restarting his campaign.
He stated, “We come together at times like these. Now people coming together is what’s also going to happen on November 7.”
President Obama decided to visit New Jersey on Wednesday, as it was a state that suffered from Hurricane Sandy. The ways Romney and Obama responded to the storms could be another factor that impacts the turnout of the 2012 election.
