Severe Weather Hits East Coast and South as Voters Head to Polls

It’s going to take extra determination to head to the polls for some Tuesday as the East Coast and South face severe thunderstorms and even possible tornadoes. Parts of the South were battered by tornadoes and damaging winds Monday night and the severe weather is likely to continue and spread on Election Day. The Weather Channel reports tornado warnings are in effect until 10 a.m. ET for eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and northern Georgia. Severe storms should be largely over by late afternoon in the Mid-Atlantic but are likely persist into the early evening from the eastern Carolinas to parts of southern Georgia and Alabama. Studies show that bad weather can decrease turnout, which tends to help Republican candidates—both because Democrat voters are more likely to stay at home and, according to one study, voters who do turn out are slightly more inclined to vote Republican when the weather is bad.