Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday delayed June’s primary elections by two weeks and asked the General Assembly to push back May’s elections to November due to the coronavirus.
“Elections are the foundation of democracy and voting is a fundamental right. But no one should have to choose between protecting our health and casting a ballot. Holding in person elections right now would put the voters and our election workers at risk,” Mr. Northam said at a press conference.
He rescheduled the June 9 primaries to June 23.
Governors can reschedule only primary elections, so he recommended that the General Assembly move the May 5 elections to Nov. 3 when it reconvenes on April 22.
Mr. Northam said he already has spoken with the speaker of the House and legislators from both sides of the aisle about the suggested change.
For the November election, Mr. Northam is proposing that there be one ballot, that voters who did not qualify to vote in May will be able to vote in November, that all absentee ballots already cast will be discarded and that officials whose terms expire in June will continue to serve until their successors have been elected in November.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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