Officials: Tuesday primaries will go on despite virus fears

COLUMBUS, OHIO >> Elections officials in the four states holding presidential primaries next week say they have no plans to postpone voting amid widespread disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Instead, they are taking extraordinary steps to ensure that voters can cast ballots and polling places are clean.

They have been scrambling to recruit replacements for poll workers dropping out over fears of contracting the virus, providing cotton swabs for voters to use on touchscreen machines and extending absentee voting deadlines. Only one state, Louisiana, announced plans to postpone its primary, from April to June.

“Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past, and based on the best information we have from public health officials, we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election,” top election officials from Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio said in a joint statement Friday that also encouraged healthy poll workers to show up.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

Election officials routinely prepare for natural disasters and other disruptions, but the coronavirus outbreak poses a unique challenge as some areas of the country urge members of the public to work from home and avoid crowds. On Friday, President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency.

Election Day voting in the U.S. largely relies on an army of poll workers who staff schools, community centers and government buildings open for the public to cast ballots in person. Because many poll workers are older, they may be especially concerned about the virus. School closures and safety concerns at senior living communities have thrown some polling places into question.

Nearly 50 of the roughly 600 paid volunteers have withdrawn in Volusia County, Florida. Hundreds of poll workers and election judges in Illinois have canceled their assignments, leaving election officials, particularly in Chicago, scrambling.

In Georgia, where the average age for poll workers is 70, about 300 poll workers have said they would no longer be available to work in the March 24 primary. Early voting for Georgia’s upcoming primary continued Friday, as state election officials weighed their options, including whether to postpone.