As the country hunkers down to avoid the coronavirus, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, on Monday made a push to postpone his state’s Tuesday primary, a plea a judge rejected late Monday. Illinois and Arizona, which also vote Tuesday, are at full speed.
And in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s not going to panic.
“We’re definitely voting,” he said Saturday at a coronavirus briefing. “They voted during the Civil War. We’re going to vote.”
Besides, he said, most ballots probably have been cast in early voting already. And neither party’s primary, he noted, are going to be cliffhangers.
Florida has a reputation for botched elections — from hanging chads in 2000 to a confusing recount in 2018 that led to the ouster of two South Florida election supervisors.
This time around, polling places could present the biggest challenge. In an effort to protect elderly populations most at risk from the coronavirus, DeSantis has shut down voting sites at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
Democrats are riled up.
“We agree with the governor’s decision. We think it’s good policy to protect at-risk populations,” said Juan Peñalosa, executive director of the Florida Democratic Party. “But there is no list of impacted voting locations. It’s information we want to help communicate to voters, but we were told by the governor’s office there is no list, and won’t be before Election Day.”
So Peñalosa’s staff and volunteers are making their own list. They’ve reached out to all of the state’s 67 county election offices to find out where polling sites will be closed.
“We are compiling a list and have already started communicating to impacted voters,” Peñalosa said.
Source: politico.com
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