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
- Empire of AI: Karen Hao on How AI Is Threatening Democracy & Creating a New Colonial World - Democracy Now! - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Democrats return to democracy messaging in NJ special election - Politico - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- DEI, Democracy Embraced At Inauguration - New Haven Independent - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- 2026: The year democracy is put to the test - EL PAS English - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- CALDARA: Counting the threats to democracy right here in Colorado - Sentinel Colorado - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Trump Pulls National Guard from Los Angeles, Ends Attempted Deployments in Portland and Chicago - Democracy Docket - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- 2025 in Review: Working to build a democracy for all in North Carolina - Common Cause - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- The Rage Machine and the Fragile Architecture of Democracy: The Danger of Talking Without Thinking - Modern Ghana - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- 2026 needs to be the year of the revival of democracy and the constitution: Chairman Oli - The Rising Nepal - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Is democracy the worst, as Winston Churchill once said? Five experts weigh in - Scroll.in - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Trump Admin Announced Its Freezing Child Care Payments to Minnesota - Democracy Now! - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Two Oil Tankers Reportedly Arrive in Venezuela Despite the Trump Administrations Blockade - Democracy Now! - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Its an election year in Israel. Heres what young pro-democracy activists want to change - The Canadian Jewish News - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Letter from the Editor: Democracy is a participation sport. Resolve to stay in the game in 2026 - MLive.com - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Israel Bans More Than Two Dozen Aid Agencies from Operating in Gaza - Democracy Now! - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Democracy and the Limits of Freedom of Expression: - Modern Ghana - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Russia Launches Overnight Drone Attack in the Ukrainian Port City of Odesa - Democracy Now! - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Daily Herald opinion: Toward better democracy: ranked choice voting coming back to forefront in 2026 - Daily Herald - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Why This Fallen SEALs Love of Democracy Shames Trump - The Daily Beast - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- The Revolutionary Roots of Social Democracy - Jacobin - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- A Trump-Epstein statue, melting democracy and human banners: the art of protesting in 2025 - in pictures - The Guardian - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Democracy in retreat amid growing global conflicts and aid cuts, warns David Miliband - The Independent - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- The Authoritarian Playbook: Public Education & the Future of Democracy - KALW - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Congressional term limits would restore trust and revive American Democracy - Chester County Press - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Trump Set to Garnish Wages for Student Loan Defaults; The Debt Collective Lays Out Other Options - Democracy Now! - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Mayor for the Masses: Can the Democratic Socialist Movement That Elected Mamdani Keep Its Momentum? - Democracy Now! - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Commentary: When the Law Is Made in the Dark, Democracy Suffers - Royal Examiner - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Virginia Man Confesses to Placing Pipe Bombs Outside RNC and DNC Before Jan. 6 Insurrection - Democracy Now! - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Commentary | The Wider World by Robert Beck: Democracy takes a beating in 2025 - Brattleboro Reformer - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Trump: Hamas Will Have Hell to Pay If It Refuses to Disarm - Democracy Now! - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina Secures Recognition from the Federal Government - Democracy Now! - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- United Nations: Violence in Sudan Has Displaced More Than 10,000 People in Three Days - Democracy Now! - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Somaliland: Africas thriving but unrecognized democracy - The Jerusalem Post - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- The Best and Worst of 2025s Fight for Democracy - Democracy Docket - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Did 2025 mark the end of British parliamentary democracy as we know it? | Andy Beckett - The Guardian - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- The canary in the democracy mine is local journalism | Vince Bzdek - Colorado Politics - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- When Rituals Break: Why Deepfakes Threaten Democracy Differently in the Global South - Modern Diplomacy - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- USA: Supporting democracy defenders - ARTICLE 19 - Defending freedom of expression and information. - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Opinion | Democracy is on the ballot in 2026 - The Cap Times - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- A Tribute to Blacklisted Lyricist Yip Harburg: The Man Who Put the Rainbow in The Wizard of Oz - Democracy Now! - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Is democracy always about truth? Why we may need to loosen our views to heal our divisions - The Conversation - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Young People Arent Abandoning Democracy Theyre Waiting to Be Invited In - Bucks County Beacon - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Trump is canceling the rule of law and U.S. democracy - The Japan Times - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- After Bondi Beach: Anti-Semitism is a threat to Australias diverse democracy - America Magazine - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- An Israeli media mainstay is crumbling. Will liberal democracy go with it? - The Forward - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- DOJ Likely Pulled Photo of Trump from Released Epstein Files - Democracy Docket - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Times letters: Delayed elections and the threat to democracy - The Times - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Local democracy is holding strong, but rural communities are falling behind, new survey of Michigan officials shows - The Conversation - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Republicans Are Fully on Board with Trump's Attack on Mail Voting. But the Beltway Press Won't Say it - Democracy Docket - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Democracy on the Brink - Magnum Photos - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Trumps Hand-Picked Board Adds Trumps Name to John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - Democracy Now! - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Is democracy the worst form of government apart from all the others? We asked 5 experts - The Conversation - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Meet the Faces of Democracy: Karen Brinson Bell - The Fulcrum - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Jury Convicts Wisconsin Judge of Obstructing ICE In Precedent-Setting Case - Democracy Docket - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Suspect in Brown University Shooting Found Dead as Investigators Link Him to MIT Murder - Democracy Now! - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- After 2025, is there still reason to believe in democracy? Its up to the people. - Atlanta Civic Circle - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Democracy Watch: Candidates in the 2026 midterm elections toe the starting line, ready to race for party nominations - Asheville Watchdog - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- If democracy is at stake, a flawed redistricting effort is not the cure - Baltimore Fishbowl - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- ICC Rejects Israels Bid to Block War Crimes Probe in Gaza - Democracy Now! - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- In Mamdanis Win, New York Has Reclaimed Democracy From Those Who Sold It - Washington Report on Middle East Affairs - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- Another Infant Freezes to Death in Gaza as Israel Continues to Violate Oct. 10 Ceasefire - Democracy Now! - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- The year that could be Democracy and society - ips-journal.eu - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- How the Israel Democracy Institute abandoned both Israel and democracy - JNS.org - December 21st, 2025 [December 21st, 2025]
- John Roberts has badly weakened our democracy. Will he ever stand up to Trump? | Steven Greenhouse - The Guardian - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Rep. Gomez Introduces the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act - U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez (.gov) - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- South Koreas Fractured Democracy: One Year After Martial Law - The Diplomat Asia-Pacific Current Affairs Magazine - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Democracy & Transition with President Bernardo Arvalo of Guatemala - Washington Office on Latin America | WOLA - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- U.S.-Backed Ceasefire Is Cover for Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza & West Bank: Sari Bashi - Democracy Now! - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Maureen Edobor Appears on Law and Democracy Podcast - Washington and Lee University - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Why we shouldn't give up on representative democracy just yet - European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Guarding Democracy from Within: The EUs Struggle Against Internal Democratic Backsliding - Stanford University - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Opinion: The AIPAC Backlash Isnt About Foreign Influence or Democracy - Washington Jewish Week - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- School boards are bastions of democracy, and libraries face funding cuts - WPR - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Democracy in action today with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, certifying Novembers election results. Thank you to everyone who participated in our... - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Democracy Works: Fixing the information ecosystem starts with us - WPSU - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Cecilia Vicua: Democracy allowed a teenager like me to be free. When that was removed, it was like the end of the world - The Irish Times - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Making Noise in the Cold for Democracy! - HillRag - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- The Five Elections That Will Be Pivotal for Global Politics and Democracy in 2026 - World Politics Review - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- Amazon employees warn company's AI 'will do staggering damage to democracy, our jobs, and the earth - Fortune - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]
- The EUs Road to Censorship The Democracy Shield - Hungarian Conservative - December 4th, 2025 [December 4th, 2025]