Georgia resets vote again amid crisis

ATLANTA — Georgia on Thursday postponed primary elections for the second time this year because of the coronavirus, pushing back primaries scheduled for May to June.

The move came a day after New Jersey and Virginia joined at least 15 other states in delaying their primaries amid the coronavirus pandemic so election officials can make preparations to address public health concerns and deal with a poll worker shortage brought on by the outbreak.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin went ahead with its elections, forcing thousands of voters to brave hours-long lines and overcrowded polling places amid the pandemic.

“This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe and secure when in-person voting begins and prioritizes the health and safety of voters, county election officials, and poll workers,” Virginia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement.

The first-term Republican secretary had already opted to postpone Georgia’s presidential primaries, initially scheduled for March 24, to May 19 to coincide with the state’s other 2020 primary elections. Georgians were scheduled then to choose party nominees for a U.S. Senate seat, U.S. House members and members of the state House and Senate. Elections for judges and district attorneys were also set for May 19.

Raffensperger’s decision moves election day for those races to June 9. Runoffs, required by state law if no candidate receives a majority of votes, are set for Aug. 11.

Clem Carrion, with Visual Artisan, scales the ice cream cone roof Thursday of the Twistee Treat in the SoDo District in Orlando, Fla. The new restaurant is scheduled to open soon. Carrion is installing LED “sprinkles” onto the cone for a nighttime effect. (AP/Orlando Sentinel/Stephen M. Dowell)