2020 Democratic Primary Election: Voting Postponed in 5 States Because of Virus – The New York Times
The Latest: Maryland is postponing its presidential primary to June 2, from April 28; Alabama is postponing its Republican primary runoff for a Senate seat; and the D.N.C. is calling for more states to use vote by mail.
As the coronavirus outbreak upends the presidential campaign, were keeping tabs on postponements and cancellations in the election calendar and on major changes for voting.
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Ohio have postponed or moved to postpone their presidential primary elections. In Ohio, officials declared a public health emergency just hours before polls were set to open on Tuesday.
The other three states scheduled to vote on Tuesday Arizona, Florida and Illinois are holding their elections as planned.
Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, released a statement on Tuesday urging the remaining states to expand their use of other voting methods, such as vote by mail, no-excuse absentee voting with curbside ballot drop-offs and early voting days and polling hours to lessen any primary-day crunch.
As our country deals with the uncertainty of COVID-19, it is critical that states provide clarity and not confusion, which could lead to disenfranchising voters, Mr. Perez said in a statement. States can provide easy access to voting while still taking necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of the American people.
He added that the D.N.C. would work with states around their delegate selection plans and methods; the current D.N.C. rules stipulate that all delegates must be allocated by June 20.
In New York, officials are considering whether the presidential primary election should be delayed. Wyoming is suspending in-person caucuses and asking voters to mail or drop off ballots. Other states are weighing similar options or adding extra precautions for voters.
None of the presidential candidates currently have scheduled events in public. Sunday nights debate was held without an on-site audience to avoid the possible spread of the virus.
Heres a running update of major changes in an election transformed. You can also track our full election calendar.
Ohios governor on Monday night said he and top state heath officials would ignore a court ruling and postpone Ohios presidential primary by declaring a public health emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The governor, Mike DeWine, said that the states health director, Dr. Amy Acton, had issued the order based on concerns that the coronavirus outbreak placed both voters and poll workers in potential danger.
His announcement came just hours after Judge Richard A. Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas rejected the states request to push back voting to June 2.
During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus, Mr. DeWine said on Twitter.
He added: While the polls will be closed tomorrow, Secretary of State Frank LaRose will seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity.
Arizona still plans to hold its primary election on Tuesday, Adrian Fontes, the Maricopa County recorder, said Monday afternoon.
The Arizona secretary of states office has recommended that voters who have not yet sent in vote-by-mail ballots drop them off at designated locations or at any polling place before polls close on Tuesday. Many voting locations also allow curbside voting.
Maricopa County, the states largest and home to Phoenix, relocated and consolidated roughly 80 polling locations. It will allow voters to select from any of the remaining 151 locations across the county.
More information is available at the secretary of states website arizona.vote.
The Florida secretary of state announced Monday afternoon that the primary election would still be held on Tuesday.
Florida is proceeding with tomorrows scheduled election, said Laurel Lee, the secretary of state. She added that more than two million ballots had already been cast through early in-person voting and by mail. We are fortunate to have numerous options in Florida to cast our ballots safely and securely.
Gov. Ron DeSantis added his commitment to holding the elections. The fact of the matter is these things can be done in a way where youre not going to have crowds, he said.
The secretary of states office has more information here and a polling place finder here.
Illinois is proceeding with its primary election on Tuesday. It is keeping many early voting sites open on Tuesday to reduce crowding at regular precincts.
Illinois officials have also been pushing early voting for the past two weeks to reduce Election Day crowds, and Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the state elections board, said it would undoubtedly set new records for early and mail voting for a primary election.
Much of the voting for this election has already been done, Mr. Dietrich said. Also, at this point, there is no date in the foreseeable future when we can expect greater safety with any certainty.
The Illinois State Board of Elections website is here, though it was loading slowly on Tuesday morning.
Georgia officials announced that the states presidential primary, scheduled for March 24, would be delayed until May 19 in an effort to protect the public from possible coronavirus exposure.
The decision was announced by Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state.
Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is the health of our poll workers, their families and the community at large, Mr. Raffensperger said. Given these circumstances, I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend in-person voting in the presidential primary, and the local elections associated with them.
A special election for Queens borough president in New York City had also been scheduled for March 24, but Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that the election is canceled.
In a democratic society, the canceling of an election is such a rarity, Mr. de Blasio said. It should be avoided at all costs. But in this case with the nature of this crisis, Ive come to the decision that its necessary.
The mayor said there were no immediate plans for a future date for the borough president election, but details for potential options would be provided soon.
Citing the national state of emergency, the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico announced it would be asking the legislature to postpone the primary to April 26.
This is an unpredictable day-by-day situation that requires constant monitoring of the progress of the disease. Our intention is to keep all options open to ensure the citizens right to vote, said Charles Rodriguez, the state party chairman, in a statement.
Mr. Rodriguez also said that the party could postpone the primary further if the coronavirus outbreak still threatens the vote in late April as well.
Alabamas secretary of state, John Merrill, got clearance to postpone the Republican runoff battle for a U.S. Senate seat, which pits former Attorney General Jeff Sessions against Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach and ESPN analyst.
The health and well-being of the people of this state is of paramount importance, Mr. Merrill said in proposing the delay, a move that was sanctioned by Steve Marshall, the states attorney general. No date was announced for the runoff.
The winner will face Senator Doug Jones, a Democrat, in a race that is closely watched because it could be a chance for Republicans to pick up a Senate seat in a red state.
President Trump has endorsed Mr. Tuberville against his onetime attorney general, Mr. Sessions, a longtime politician in Alabama who served in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2017.
Louisiana postponed its April 4 primary for more than two months, rescheduling to June 20, the first state to adjust its election calendar in response to the coronavirus.
Today I have certified that a state of emergency exists and requested that the governor issue an executive order postponing the elections this spring, Louisianas secretary of state, R. Kyle Ardoin, said at a news conference. I want to thank the governor and his staff for working with us in a bipartisan manner to accomplish this mission.
The Democratic National Committee said in a statement that it would continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection plans around coronavirus, but that by moving its primary to June 20, which is past the June 9 deadline set by the D.N.C., Louisiana could face a penalty that would include a state losing at least half of its delegates.
The announcement from Louisiana was followed by one from Wyoming, which suspended the in-person portion of its Democratic caucuses, scheduled for April 4. Residents will be able to either vote by mail or drop off their ballots at a county polling location. The vote by mail deadline in Wyoming is March 20, and the pickup and drop-off of ballots will be held on March 28 and April 4 at county polling locations.
In Alaska, the state Democratic Party is encouraging voters to vote by mail, and the deadline is March 24. The state has no plans to cancel in-person voting on April 4, but officials said they would reassess on a daily basis whether to postpone the states presidential primary.
Hawaii has taken a similar position, but the state Democratic Party said that a large majority of the Democratic voters in its state votes by mail. The party said it had already mailed out about 57,000 ballots and would be sending out another 15,000 to voters.
In-person voting in Hawaii is limited on April 4, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, as per state rules.
Because the vast majority of our party members are voting by mail, we do not expect a large turnout at these locations, said Kate Stanley, the interim chair of the state party. At this time we intend to go forward with the walk-in voting sites as they will not be large gatherings.
The Wisconsin secretary of state says the primary will still be held on April 7 but has made two changes to voting in response to the coronavirus.
Voters in nursing homes and care centers will automatically be sent absentee ballots. And municipal clerks have been given the option of relocating polling places currently slated to be in nursing homes and other care centers where public health is a concern.
Citing concerns about coronavirus transmission, the Wisconsin Democratic Party said it was encouraging everyone to vote early or absentee. Wisconsin voters may request an absentee ballot for any reason. Heres the link.
Secretary of State Denise W. Merrill of Connecticut said voting would go on as scheduled but also urged Gov. Ned Lamont to issue an emergency order permitting those concerned about going to the polls to obtain absentee ballots.
Under current law, concerns about disease contagion at a polling place is not a reason for voting absentee in Connecticut.
Through surprise October snowstorms, November hurricanes, to the threat of a global pandemic voting in Connecticut must go on, Ms. Merrill said in a statement issued by her office. In order to ensure that Connecticut voters are able to cast a ballot on April 28, absentee ballots must be available for voters who want to follow public health advice and avoid polling places.
The governor was reviewing the request, a spokesman said.
Anthony Albence, Delawares state election commissioner, said there was no provision in state law for postponing an election, but urged voters to apply for absentee ballots, which permits people who are sick or disabled to vote absentee.
If we have an application that is complete and the voter specifies one of the reasons, we will certainly honor them, Mr. Albence said.
This page provides information about applying for a Delaware absentee ballot.
Were making preparations to have sufficient materials in the polling places for cleaning, keeping the locations clean, Mr. Albence said. We will review that with our poll workers and try to ensure that we have best practices to clean the voting equipment.
Maryland became the fifth state to postpone its presidential primary election to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Tuesday that the April 28 primary would instead be held on June 2.
Mr. Hogan said at a news conference that state elections officials had raised concerns about the primary with him last week. Officials considered conducting the entire election by mail but did not believe they had enough time to make that work, Mr. Hogan said.
Like other states have done, all the primary elections will be postponed until June, which gives everyone time to prepare, Mr. Hogan said. Free and fair elections are the very foundation of American democracy, and while there are many valid reasons for unease and uncertainty right now, ensuring that the voices of Maryland citizens are heard shouldnt be one of them.
Mr. Hogan said that a special election in Marylands Seventh Congressional District to replace the late Representative Elijah E. Cummings would not be rescheduled from April 28, but that voters would be encouraged to vote by mail. The Maryland Democratic Party said it believed that election would be conducted entirely by mail.
Elections officials are discussing moving the presidential primary election from April 28 to June 23, the date of another scheduled statewide primary, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has also modified election procedures to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
In an executive order, he lowered the signature requirements for ballot access for congressional and state legislative and judicial races, meaning that door-to-door canvassing for signatures will probably be more limited.
Public health experts have been clear that one of the most common ways to communicate Covid-19 is through direct person to person contact, and we are doing everything in our immediate power to reduce unnecessary interactions, Mr. Cuomo said.
The Pennsylvania secretary of state has reminded voters of the states mail-in ballot option, which permits any voter to request a ballot.
The secretarys office is also engaged in what officials called comprehensive discussions about possible options for the April primary election with the governors office, the legislature, individual counties and the Department of Health.
Our focus is on best ways to protect the integrity of the election while safeguarding public health, said Wanda Murren, a spokeswoman for Pennsylvanias Department of State.
Voters who would like to vote by mail may request a ballot through the state website.
Officials in Rhode Island are encouraging voters to cast ballots by mail.
In a statement, the Rhode Island Board of Elections said it was working on plans to sanitize polling places using guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but reminded voters that voting by mail was easy and secure.
To vote by mail, Rhode Island voters can visit the Board of Canvassers in their City or Town Hall, or complete an application on the Board of Elections website.
Kentuckys secretary of state, Michael G. Adams, announced the state would delay its primary election to June 23 in a video on Twitter.
Postponing the primary was not an easy decision, but the Republican secretary of state and Democratic governor agreed, and so do county clerks from both parties, Mr. Adams said. My hope is that this delay will allow us to have a normal election. Even if not, this delay will allow me, the State Board of Elections and our county clerks time to assess what changes we must make to ensure a successful primary election.
States rescheduling their primaries past a June 9 deadline set by the Democratic National Committee risk losing half of their delegates to the convention.
Reporting was contributed by Matt Stevens, Maggie Astor, Shane Goldmacher and Patricia Mazzei.
Read the original:
2020 Democratic Primary Election: Voting Postponed in 5 States Because of Virus - The New York Times
- Partisan and creepy interviews are threat to democracy, Nick Robinson says - The Guardian - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Star Wars-themed democracy rally held in Irvine - FOX 11 Los Angeles - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- End Times Fascism: Naomi Klein on How Trump, Musk, Far Right Dont Believe in the Future - Democracy Now! - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Australians sizzle on election day with 'democracy sausage' and 'budgy smugglers' - Reuters - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Claims Criticisms Of Judges Are 'Attacks On Democracy' | Will Cain Show - Fox News - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Hundreds rally in Farmington for democracy and climate action - The Portland Press Herald - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Chilling: Wisconsin Gov. Evers Pushes Back After Trumps Border Czar Threatens to Arrest Him - Democracy Now! - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Students and faculty advocate for academic freedom at pro-democracy rally - The Stanford Daily - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Opinion | 3.5% and the Hopeful Math for Saving Democracy - Common Dreams - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- In Brief with Mu Sochua, President of the Khmer Movement for Democracy - 9DashLine - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Democracy on edge: Germany labels leading AfD a 'far-right threat,' facing historic clash - Haaretz - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- May Day Alaska: Rallies support workers and protest Trump, threats to democracy - Alaska Beacon - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Trumps Assault on PBS and NPR Chooses Oligarchy Over Press Freedom and Democracy - The Nation - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- How Bad Is It?: Andrew Marantz on the Health of Our Democracy - The New Yorker - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Romanias war on democracy Is this a stolen election? - UnHerd - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Star Wars fans join in California rally for democracy on May the 4th - Honolulu Star-Advertiser - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Hundreds of activists stage Malis first pro-democracy rally in years since coups - AP News - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Cacciari Warns Against Banning AfD As Threat To Democracy - Evrim Aac - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- The Dangers of Trumps First 100 Days: A Democracy in Exile Roundtable - dawnmena.org - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Democracy is a gift worth fighting for - MinnPost - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Can Ukraines fight for democracy survive without US support? - Middle East Institute - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- This 1938 pro-science manifesto defended democracy against fascism - Big Think - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Three U.S. Citizen Children, Including 4-Year-Old Battling 4th Stage Cancer, Deported to Honduras - Democracy Now! - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Media Freedom Rapid Response Input regarding the EU Democracy Shield - European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- The crucial role of schools in protecting Australia's democracy - The Educator - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- What Im Thinking Now, as a Political Bridge-Builder and Democracy Reformer - AllSides - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Ateneo universities across the Philippines mark the launch of the Philippine Observatory on Democracy - Ateneo de Manila University - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Whats wrong with democracy in Europe? - The Economist - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- What Greek tragedy could teach us about the decline of our democracy - The Boston Globe - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- What the Trump assault on American democracy has taught us - The Globe and Mail - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Lowering the voting age will benefit democracy | Letters - The Guardian - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Trump calls Harvard a threat to Democracy amid executive orders targeting higher education - NBC News - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Democracy on the Brink: Scholars Warn of Americas Authoritarian Turn - The Fulcrum - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Editorial: Dont Let Trump Kill News and Democracy - InDepthNH.org - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- When White House begins to embrace conservative influencers, where will 'American democracy' head? - Global Times - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Judge Halts Trumps Anti-Voting Executive Order - Democracy Docket - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- The State of Democracy Requires Us to Expand the Map - Democracy Docket - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- A threat to Democracy: Trump continues bashing Harvard amid attacks on major institutions - Politico - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Democracy is hard; freedom is worth all the inconveniences: Arvelo - Seacoastonline.com - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Bookstores are arsenals of democracy - Princeton University Press - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Courts Handed Trump A Slew of Legal Losses This Week - Democracy Docket - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Poll: 61% of Israelis fear for democracy, 66% say internal rift is greatest threat - The Times of Israel - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- In praise of a democracy on paper - The Globe and Mail - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Opinion | When governors sabotage democracy just because they feel like it - The Washington Post - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Reuters: Trump Will Offer $100+ Billion Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia - Democracy Now! - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- DRC Agrees to Ceasefire with Rwanda-Backed M23 Rebels - Democracy Now! - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Don Wooten: Pope Francis, Trump and the tension between capitalism and democracy - Dispatch Argus - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Gen Z Has a Complex Relationship with Democracy, Survey Reveals - The 74 - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Tunisian Authorities Raze Refugee Camps That Housed 7,000 - Democracy Now! - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Rock This Democracy To Hold Next Street Protest, Rally On May Day - The Newtown Bee - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Opinion: We shouldnt forget those who helped democracy come into being - Anchorage Daily News - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- The Trump Administration Is Not Just Erasing History, They're Rewriting the Future and Attacking Democracy | Opinion - Newsweek - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- The New Far-Right Coalition Thats Out to Destroy American Democracy - The New Republic - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Thailands fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic - The Conversation - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- An existential threat to democracy: the US judge facing a challenge to her election victory - The Guardian - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Is Trump about to end democracy in the USA? - Funding the Future - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- President Trump Is Not the Only Threat to Our Democracy - The Regulatory Review - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Key Federal Elections Agency Moving Forward With Trumps Anti-Voting Order - Democracy Docket - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Simple hope alone wont protect democracy and the rule of law - Colorado Newsline - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Op-ed: Why we need human factors to save democracy - The Tufts Daily - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Bad for democracy: North Carolina could throw out valid ballots in tight election - The Guardian - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Debt, development, and democracy: Prospects for meeting the SDGs in Africa - Brookings - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- SIUs Paul Simon Institute hosts Kettering Foundation CEO to discuss future of democracy - WSIU NEWS - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Introducing The Expand Democracy 5 - The Fulcrum - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Your womens, gender and sexuality studies degree isnt useless its essential to maintaining democracy - The Tufts Daily - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- New political party seeking expanded democracy and a return to the center launches in New Mexico - Source New Mexico - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- In Promising News for Riggs, North Carolina Cuts Number of Ballots at Risk of Rejection - Democracy Docket - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- American Revolution: Paul Revere rides again, this time in a democracy coming apart - The Baltimore Banner - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- There is No Democracy Without Direct Democracy - resilience.org - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- When the Fight for Democracy Is Personal - The Atlantic - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Churches to ring bells for democracy: 6 p.m., April 18, commemorate ride of Paul Revere - PenBay Pilot - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Ukraines Democracy Still Works Without Elections - Foreign Policy - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Social Democracy isnt Going to Save the West - Counterpunch - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Trumps not hurting democracy. Hes blowing up their oligarchy, which is why theyre so mad - The Hill - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- New Fund Seeks $20 Million to Aid Nonprofits Standing Up to Democracy Threats - The Chronicle of Philanthropy - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Sinister SAVE Act will do the opposite for democracy | Letter - centralmaine.com - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- We've reached a critical turning point in our democracy - Columbia Missourian - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- A Democracy of Convenience Is No Democracy at All: A Letter from Mahmoud Khalil on His Ongoing Detention - Left Voice - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- DOJ Sues Maine for Refusing to Comply with Anti-Trans Order - Democracy Now! - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]
- Riggs Will Fight as Long as it Takes to Ensure Votes Are Counted in North Carolina - Democracy Docket - April 18th, 2025 [April 18th, 2025]