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Monday, March 16, 2020

Louisiana, Georgia delay presidential primaries, Ohio to block in-person voting Tuesday amid coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has affected much of American routine. For some, that includes voting.

Louisiana announced Friday that it will postpone its presidential primary elections from April 4 to June 20. The state, which just saw its first covid-19 death last week, is the first state to delay its primary in response to the disease. Georgia followed suit, delaying next week's primary to May 19, the date of the primary for other offices.

UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said a lawsuit will be filed to block in-person voting in Ohio's primary tomorrow, because such voting would not conform with a federal recommendations to avoid gatherings of 50 people or more. Later in the day, the recommendation was lowered to 10.

"Authorities are concerned that holding elections will provide an opportunity for further community spread of the outbreak, particularly among poll workers," Andrea Noble reports for Route Fifty. Many poll workers are older, and covid-19 is deadlier for older people.

Some polling locations have been eliminated in Arizona, Florida and Illinois tomorrow because of poll workers canceling, or moved elsewhere to protect nearby vulnerable populations such as nursing homes, Rebecca Morin reports for USA Today.

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