Rescheduled Contests Megathread

[Mr. Morden]

The Democratic Party in Puerto Rico is also asking the government to delay the primary there as well:

https://twitter.com/andreagonram/status/1238914801620996096

[Mr. Morden]

Imagine if the coronavirus had struck 6 weeks earlier, and we were at this stage of the pandemic on Iowa caucus day.

[Mr. Morden]

DNC warns that states delaying primaries until after June 9th may face penalties:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/17/dnc-memo-primary-delays-could-result-delegate-reduction

A new memo from the Democratic National Committee panel that handles delegate selection for the presidential nomination warns that states that hastily change the “first determining step” of their own process could be subject to penalties – including a 50% reduction in delegates – if they hold primaries after a June cut-off date.

The memo also says the panel is looking at ways to adjust how delegates are selected in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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It continued: “The Delegate Selection Rules provide that each state’s first determining step must take place by 9 June. If a state violates the rule on timing, or any other rule, they could be subject to penalties as prescribed in Rule 21, including at least a 50% reduction in delegates, which will need to be reviewed by the RBC.

“The deadline to elect convention participants is 20 June, so state parties should have plenty of time to elect their delegates, alternates and standing committee members.”

The committee also advised state parties “to follow the recommendations of local health officials and prioritize health and safety of all individuals. We acknowledge the situation is very different in every state and want to give state parties flexibility to adjust their plans to address their own situations and local guidance.”

[Mr. Morden]

Rhode Island likely to move to June 2nd as well:

https://frontloading.blogspot.com/2020/03/rhode-island-moving-toward-presidential.html

The Rhode Island state Board of Elections voted 6-1 on Tuesday, March 17 to recommend to Governor Gina Raimondo (D) delaying the presidential primary in the Ocean state and scheduling it for June 2. The impetus for the change was the threat of further spread of coronavirus, but the Board also argued that the potential delay would allow them more time to better prepare for a possible all-mail ballot, something that Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea (D) argued for in a letter to the Board.

The one dissenting vote on the Board sided with Gorbea on not only to shifting to an all-mail ballot but to continuing with the April 28 date. Gorbea cited concerns about the date change's impact on the preparations for the September primary for other offices and the general election.

But for the time being it appears as if Rhode Island will be on the move. Legal counsel for the Board was preparing a draft emergency executive order for the governor to issue to override the state law.

[Mr. Morden]

The DNC should put a rule that says that if states postpone their primaries to a date so close to the convention (within ten weeks or so) that it guarantees disorderliness, then those states should forfeit their delegates and the number needed for a majority should accordingly drop.

Like I said at the top of the last page, there is already a rule against states holding primaries later than June 9th, and the DNC says they're going to enforce it.

[Mr. Morden]

Politico says that Ohio will not vote on June 2nd after all.  The legislature has instead moved to do an all-mail voting primary that runs through April 28th instead:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/25/ohio-vote-by-mail-primary-election-149012

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a directive last week, following the polls closure, that said the primary was postponed until June 2. But the legislature's coronavirus response package nullifies LaRose’s order, after lawmakers argued LaRose did not have that authority.

The new law instructs LaRose’s office to send a postcard to every registered voter in the state to notify them of “the methods by which the elector may obtain an application for absent voter's ballots,” along with relevant deadlines. But the statute does not actually mail every voter an absentee ballot request.

“Please know that if I could send an absentee request to every voter in this primary I would,” LaRose said in a tweet. “Unfortunately [state regulations] prohibits me from doing so and [this bill] did not address that.”

Ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on April 28, or postmarked on or before April 27 and received by May 8 to count — a tight turnaround for a state whose election was marred by late confusion. An extremely limited group of voters will be able to vote in-person on April 28, including disabled voters and those without a home address, but for most people, that option won't be available.

[Mr. Morden]

Last minute push for a postponement:

https://twitter.com/mviser/status/1246147967322599424

[Mr. Morden]

More here:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/04/03/tony-evers-calls-lawmakers-into-session-stop-person-voting/2940156001/

The lawmakers are unlikely to take the action Evers wants but haven't yet said Friday whether they'll make the changes the governor is requesting.

Both GOP leaders of the state Legislature have repeatedly said they consider in-person voting to be safe despite thousands of people expected at some polling locations as clerks consolidate amid a massive shortage of workers.

"If you are bored at home and sick of watching Netlfix, volunteer to go and help at the polls," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said Wednesday.

[Mr. Morden]

https://twitter.com/ZachMontellaro/status/1246232218168631297

[Mr. Morden]

The story I linked to earlier has been updated:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/04/03/tony-evers-calls-lawmakers-into-session-stop-person-voting/2940156001/

The GOP leaders instead criticized Evers for also calling for the election to move to May 19 — a reversal from pushing to keep the election date in place — and not asking them to take action before Friday.  

"Hundreds of thousands of workers are going to their jobs every day, serving in essential roles in our society. There’s no question that an election is just as important as getting take-out food," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement.

But Fitzgerald and Vos had no answer to how local election officials are supposed to keep people safe as a massive shortage of poll workers has resulted in the closure or reduction of polling locations, forcing more people to vote at a single site. 

Milwaukee election officials said Friday they only had enough poll workers to open five voting locations for Tuesday's election, which could draw as many as 50,000 voters — putting thousands at risk of infection. 

This seems like a likely preview of what’ll happen in November, if the coronavirus is still enough of a risk to merit more voting by mail.  We’ve had threads here asking if Trump will use the coronavirus to try to delay the November election, but that seems backwards.  It’s in Trump’s interest to go ahead with the election so long as enough state legislatures don’t make it easier to vote by mail.  That’s because urban areas seem more likely to have coronavirus related problems with in-person voting like Milwaukee is having now than do rural areas, where GOP voters live in higher numbers.

Also worth noting that one reason why the GOP has a stronger interest in taking this stand in Wisconsin than they do in other states trying to delay primaries is that this election in Wisconsin isn’t just a primary.  It’s also a general election for judicial offices.  If it was just a primary, then the Wisconsin GOP wouldn’t have such incentives to block a delay in the election date.

[Mr. Morden]

The WI legislature convened today for the special session, but then immediately closed the session without acting on an election delay:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/04/wisconsin-republicans-reject-tuesday-primary-delay-164911

Republicans on Saturday gaveled into a special session called by Evers then immediately closed the session without taking action. Republicans indicated they had adjourned until Monday.

It is now up to the governor to try to find other emergency measures to delay the election. Evers suggested on Friday that he would attempt to do so.

“If they take no action, we’ll be looking at whatever action we can take," Evers said. “We will continue to find ways to make sure Wisconsinites are safe, and that’s the bottom line.”

But Evers is quickly running out of options. Mayors across the state have pleaded for a delay, amid a severe shortage of poll workers sicked by coronavirus or fearful of contamination. The shortages has meant the closure of polling sites, including in minority areas of Milwaukee.

In fact, not only are they not going to delay the election, but they’re also appealing to SCOTUS to stop the extension of absentee voting:

https://twitter.com/shermancourt/status/1246559678395490304

[Mr. Morden]

https://twitter.com/ZachMontellaro/status/1246867243239178249

[Mr. Morden]

It gets even worse:

https://twitter.com/stevenmazie/status/1247301052623355911?s=20

This will result in thousands of votes not being counted. This is a illegitimate election.

Wait, are they not going to count votes mailed in tomorrow or today?

Nope, they have to be in by poll close

If they are postmarked by tomorrow, then they count.

[Mr. Morden]

According to this, we're actually still not going to get results tomorrow?:

https://twitter.com/reidepstein/status/1247336647307464704

If so, that is weird.  Yes, they are still accepting absentee ballots later in the week if they are postmarked by Tuesday, but that is a common thing.  Lots of states accepts absentee ballots arriving after Election Day if they are postmarked by Election Day.  They still report the results on Election Day.

[Mr. Morden]

More:

https://twitter.com/ericbradner/status/1247342642737729536

[Mr. Morden]

New Jersey...

https://twitter.com/GovMurphy/status/1247938587968094209

[Mr. Morden]

Yang is suing the NY Board of Elections over the cancelled New York primary:

https://twitter.com/ZachMontellaro/status/1255268072438595588

Meanwhile, Josh Putnam muses that since NY has set the precedent now, Connecticut and/or Puerto Rico might follow suit and cancel their primaries as well:

https://twitter.com/FHQ/status/1254820484883066881

[Mr. Morden]

NY PRIMARY BACK ON FOR 6/23: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-judge-reinstates-new-york-primary-20200505-blcl5afbqzc6dmo4b7iynz75ny-story.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true

The state then challenged this in court, but looks like they've lost that case, so the primary is set for the 23rd:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/politics/new-york-democratic-primary/index.html

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Tuesday that the New York Democratic presidential primary may proceed as planned next month.

The three-judge panel's ruling affirmed a federal judge's order from early May to hold the primary election on June 23 as planned and to reinstate qualified presidential and delegate candidates to the Democratic primary ballot. The state had appealed the order.

"We have reviewed all of the remaining arguments raised by Defendants on appeal and find them to be without merit," the judges wrote in Tuesday's decision.

Following the decision, New York State Board of Elections co-chair Douglas Kellner said another appeal would not be filed.

[Mr. Morden]

The Puerto Rico primary finally got a new date: July 12th:

https://www.elvocero.com/gobierno/fijan-fecha-para-primaria-dem-crata-en-la-isla/article_c4c03720-9b87-11ea-8834-d7b7a727ecff.html