Georgia will postpone its March 24 presidential main for almost two months, officers stated Saturday, changing into the second state to delay voting in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The transfer comes as officers within the subsequent 4 states scheduled to vote within the main — Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio — have all indicated they intend to carry their elections on Tuesday as deliberate, issuing a joint assertion on Friday expressing confidence that ballots could be safely forged.
Louisiana on Friday became the first state to postpone its primary, asserting that the April four election can be pushed again by greater than two months.
Georgia adopted a day later, including to the uncertainty that’s upending the presidential race as individuals fear about gatherings and locations the place they may change into contaminated and the candidates modify to a brand new regular of “virtual campaigning.”
The Georgia main will now be held Might 19, Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, stated in an announcement.
“Occasions are transferring quickly and my highest precedence is the well being of our ballot staff, their households, and the neighborhood at massive,” Mr. Raffensperger stated. “Given these circumstances, I consider it’s mandatory and prudent to droop in-person voting within the presidential main, and the native elections related to them.”
Might 19 is the day of a beforehand scheduled election in Georgia, with main elections for U.S. Senate and Home races in addition to native elections deliberate.
A number of different states this week stated they have been both implementing or contemplating modifications to voting to handle the outbreak.
Wyoming suspended the in-person portion of its Democratic caucuses, saying residents would be capable of both vote by mail or drop off their ballots at a county polling location.
Officers in Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania stated they have been contemplating varied measures to encourage voting by mail.
The Democratic Social gathering of Georgia stated it had endorsed the choice to delay the first election in mild of the general public well being emergency created by the coronavirus and the elevated danger to each the general public and ballot staff.
“Our precedence is to guard the well being and security of all Georgians and to make sure that as many Georgians as potential have a chance to vote,” stated State Senator Nikema Williams, the get together chairwoman. “Continued in-person voting might compromise each targets.”
Votes which have already been forged in particular person or by mail will nonetheless rely, Ms. Williams stated.
At the least 66 individuals have examined optimistic for the coronavirus in Georgia, and one particular person has died there, according to a New York Times database.
Elections officers within the 4 states scheduled to vote on Tuesday have stated they’re taking further precautions to forestall unfold of coronavirus at polling locations, with plans to have hand sanitizer obtainable and to sanitize voting tools.
Nick Corasaniti and Patricia Mazzei contributed reporting.