While Oregon will go on with votes (via mail) and Wisconsin will proceed with the April 7 polls, 9 states in America have moved their presidential primary elections like inother countries around the world. Here are the states and statements from their governors.
Louisiana postponed its presidential primary from April 4 to June 20
They are the first state to do so. “Safe and secure elections also mean safety to the people of Louisiana,” Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced.
Connecticut moved its primary elections from April 28 to June 2
“In coordination with other states and our Secretary of the State, and in an effort to carry out Democracy while keeping public health a top priority, I have decided to move our presidential primary to June 2nd.” The Governor, Ned Lamont, announced on his twitter page. Voters are suggesting mail-by-votes as the best option.
Here are some of their comments:
Georgia moved its primary from March 24 to May 19
“Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers, their families, and the community at large,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement on March 14.
Indiana moved its primary from May 5 to June 2
“It needed to be pushed back in order to, again, ensure the safety of our county employees, our poll workers and the voters themselves,” Governor Eric Holcomb announced in a statement.
Kentucky moved its primary from May 19 to June 23.
“I never would have imagined sitting here and discussing this with you, but these are unprecedented times,” Kentucky Secretary of state, Michael Adams said in a video posted on Twitter. Just like Connecticut, voters in Kentucky are suggesting votes be done via mail.
Here are some of their comments:
Maryland moved its primary from April 28 to June 2.
“I have two main priorities — keeping Marylanders safe and protecting their constitutional right to vote,” Governor Larry Hogan said at a news conference in Annapolis.
Ohio postponed its presidential primary, scheduled for March 17 to June 2
“We cannot tell people to stay inside, but we also cannot tell them to go out and vote,” Governor Mike DeWine said on his twitter page.
The latest postponement comes from Rhode Island which will move its 2020 primary to June 2 from the originally planned April 28. “I am following the advice of the Board of Elections, and will sign an executive order to do this,” Governor Gina Raimondo announced via her twitter.
In Alaska, in-person voting is been cancelled and elections postponed from April 4 to April 10, extending the deadline for mail-in ballots.
Puerto Rico postponed its primary election from March 29 to April 26.
“Without a doubt, this is the time for preventative measures to stop the spread of the virus,” said Charles Rodríguez, the chairman of the state party.
More postponements in America can be expected in the coming days, from New York and Pennsylvania. Also, a new lingering question becomes – will the most anticipated elections of 2020 still hold in November?
This article will be updated as more postponements are made in America
