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Following Louisiana, Georgia Postpones Democratic Primary Amid Coronavirus Concerns

   DailyWire.com
Voters cast their ballots for Early Voting at the Los Angeles County Registrar's Office in Norwalk, California on November 5, 2018, a day ahead the November 6 midterm elections in the United States.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

On Saturday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger postponed the Democratic primary election, which was scheduled to take place on March 24, over concerns regarding the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

Secretary Raffensperger posted the following on Twitter: “I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend in-person voting in the Pres Pref Primary, & the local elections associated with them, & resume in-person voting for those elections as part of the already scheduled May 19 Gen Primary.”

In a press release, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia Nikema Williams said:

Our priority is to protect the health and safety of all Georgians and to ensure that as many Georgians as possible have an opportunity to vote. … Continued in-person voting could compromise both goals. Georgians who have already cast their vote in person or by mail for the March 24 primary will be able to vote again in the May 19 primary for the elections already scheduled for that date. If Georgians who have already cast their vote for the March 24 primary do not vote again in the May 19 primary, their votes for the presidential preference primary will still count.

Georgia is the second state to postpone their Democratic primary in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order postponing the state’s Democratic primary by two months, moving it from its scheduled April 4 date to June 20.

So far, 24 states and several territories have cast their votes in the Democratic presidential primary, which has been effectively winnowed to a race between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Although Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) remains in the race with a single delegate, she has no real path to the nomination.

The next primaries are set to take place on Tuesday in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. Together, those states carry 577 delegates.

According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, Biden leads Sanders in Florida by a staggering 42 points (65.4% to 22.6%). In Arizona, Biden leads Sanders 48% to 25.5%, and in Illinois, Biden leads Sanders 60% to 30.5%.

There has only been one recent poll in the state of Ohio, so the data isn’t as reliable, but according to that poll, Biden leads Sanders 57% to 35%.

Nationally, Biden stands tall with 54.4% support compared to Sanders’ 35.4% and Gabbard’s 2.3% support, according to RealClearPolitics.

The next Democratic debate, which was set to take place on Sunday in Arizona, has been moved to Washington, D.C., and will feature no audience due to coronavirus concerns.

CNN reports that in a statement, DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa said: “Out of an abundance of caution and in order to reduce cross-country travel, all parties have decided that the best path forward is to hold Sunday’s debate at CNN’s studio in Washington, D.C., with no live audience.”

As of Saturday, Joe Biden leads in the delegate count with 890, while Sanders has 736. In order to secure the nomination outright, a candidate needs 1,991 delegates by the end of the primary/caucus process.

RELATEDLouisiana Gov Postpones Democratic Primaries Due To Coronavirus, Bans ‘Gatherings Of 250 People Or More,’ Including Worship Services

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