Arizona Democratic Primary And Coronavirus: What Changes Tuesday

PHOENIX, AZ — Arizona’s Democratic primary election will go on as planned Tuesday, though one of the three states scheduled to hold primaries the same day one sought permission Monday to delay in-person voting because of concerns about the new coronavirus.

Illinois and Florida were still planning to go ahead with primaries Tuesday, though Ohio’s governor asked to continue absentee voting and delay in-person voting until June 2 as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, grew to 50. A court overruled the Ohio governor, but the state's medical director closed polls under a health emergency.

Arizona has 67 pledged delegates at stake, and the state is a key test of Bernie Sanders’ ability to find a path to the Democratic presidential nomination. The Vermont independent senator has typically fared better in western states than former Vice President Joe Biden, who has a pledged delegate lead of 890-736 heading into Tuesday’s primaries. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard also is on the ballot, but she trails both Biden and Sanders by hundreds of delegates.

Where To Vote

Phoenix and Maricopa County voting centers
Tucson and Pima County polling locations

Polls remain open until 7 p.m. Mountain Time.

Election officials say they’ve taken measures to both ensure the integrity of Tuesday’s primary and protect against the new coronavirus. Arizona Secretary of State Kathy Hobbs, Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee, Illinois Elections Board Chairman Charles Scholz and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said in a joint statement last week they were working with state health officials in their states “to ensure that our poll workers and voters can be confident that voting is safe."

Read More: 3 States Voting; Coronavirus Cancels Ohio, Causes Chaos In Illinois

“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, and that otherwise healthy poll workers can and should carry out their patriotic duties on Tuesday,” the statement said.

The biggest change for Arizona voters is in Maricopa County, which closed about 80 voting centers after locations canceled or poll workers canceled their shifts. Voters wlll be able to vote at any of the 151 polls that remain open, regardless of their assigned precinct.

Read More: Democratic Primary In Maricopa County: Polling Locations Change

Some of the poll workers who canceled are older Americans, the group most susceptible to a coronavirus infection. Hobbs told the Arizona Daily Star she worked with Arizona State University to find replacement poll workers.

One thing in election officials' favor is the popularity of early voting and vote-by-mail in Arizona. In recent elections, only two in 10 ballots is marked in person at a voting center.

Ana Estrado was able to observe social distancing as recommended by the federal Centers for Disease and Control when she showed up to vote Tuesday at T.G. Barr Elementary School in south Phoenix. The 20-year-old was alone in the line when a reporter for the Arizona Republic caught up with her, and said that despite her fears about the new virus, it's important to vote in the primary.

Arizona has 18 confirmed coronavirus cases going into Tuesday’s voting, according to Johns Hopkins University, which tracks the global spread of the virus in real time.