On March 14, Georgia postponed its presidential primary elections by eight weeks due to concerns regarding the coronavirus outbreak. The state rescheduled its presidential primaries from March 24 to coincide with the May 19 statewide primaries. The postponement also applies to any special elections in the state originally scheduled to take place on March 24.

Early voting for the presidential primary began on March 2. All early voting ballots already cast for president—in-person or absentee—will be counted in the newly scheduled May 19 presidential primary.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement on March 14, “In light of the public health emergency posted by COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, in-person voting presents increased risk to voters and poll workers.” He stated that the average age of poll workers in Georgia is over 70.

Georgia was the second state to postpone its presidential primaries due to coronavirus concerns following Louisiana, which postponed its presidential primaries from April 4 to June 20. Four states—Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio—have presidential primaries scheduled to take place on March 17.

Additional reading:
Coronavirus outbreak, 2020
Presidential elections in Georgia, 2020