Ballotpedia is monitoring changes made to election dates and procedures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are the presidential primary updates you need to know:
- New York: State election officials canceled the New York Democratic primary scheduled for June 23. Earlier this month, the state enacted a law authorizing the board of elections to remove candidates from ballots upon suspending or terminating their campaigns. Douglas Kellner, the Democratic co-chairman of the board, said, “At a time when the goal is to avoid unnecessary social contact, our conclusion was that there was no purpose in holding a beauty contest primary that would marginally increase the risk to both voters and poll workers.”
Poll Spotlight
“This year’s Democratic presidential primary was tumultuous from beginning to end—starting with a record field of two dozen major candidates and ending in the middle of a pandemic.
But its lasting legacy could be far more fundamental: The chaos of the 2020 election season could radically, even permanently, change how Americans vote.
By November, a majority of the country—and possibly the overwhelming majority—could cast their ballot by mail for the first time. In the years to come, more and more voters will pick their candidates not by selecting one favorite, but by ranking several under a system designed to give people more choices and less chance for regret. And by 2024, the final vestiges of a 200-year-old tradition—caucuses—could be gone, buried for good by the debacle in Iowa that launched this year’s nominating process.”
– Russel Berman and Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic
Election Updates
- Politico reported on the Joe Biden campaign’s vice presidential selection process, including the internal debate over whether he should prioritize a black and/or progressive candidate.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the co-chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus, endorsed Biden on Monday. “While I have not always agreed with Vice President Biden on matters of policy, I am ready to work with him to craft and then implement the most progressive agenda of any candidate in history,” she said.
- Bernie Sanders campaign adviser Jeff Weaver called the New York Board of Elections’ decision to cancel the primary “a blow to American democracy.” He continued, “Just last week Vice President Biden warned the American people that President Trump could use the current crisis as an excuse to postpone the November election. Well, he now has a precedent thanks to New York state.”
- Donald Trump held a news conference on Monday afternoon where he and the White House coronavirus task force discussed expanding testing through retailers like Walmart and CVS. He also said the estimated death toll from the pandemic could rise to 70,000 in the United States.
What We’re Reading
- The Atlantic: America Won’t Be the Same. Neither Will Its Elections.
- CNN: Older voters could offer Biden a new path to the White House
- FiveThirtyEight: How Does Biden Stack Up To Past Democratic Nominees?
Flashback: April 28, 2016
The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce endorsed Hillary Clinton and John Kasich.