Eric Lutz reports for The Guardian from Chicago, Illinois:
On the eve of the Illinois primary, Chicago election officials warned of staffing issues and called on young, healthy individuals to volunteer as election judges.
As the primary got underway, there were reports of issues at polling locations
and images of long lines in some precincts. Lisa Chavarria NBC5 (@ LisaChavarria)
This is the line to vote at W Addison. More voters have to come here since some polling locations are closed or equipment is delayed.
@ nbcchicago
March ,
7. pm EDT :
Most Florida polls close
It’s 7 pm ET, so most polling places in Florida, where pledged delegates are up fo rgrabs, are now closed.
A handful of Florida polling places will be open until 8 pm ET, but we will soon start getting results from the Sunshine State.
Joe Biden is expected to carry the state, considering the RealClearPolitics polling average shows him leading by nearly points .
6. (PM EDT : 085
Polls will start closing in Florida in just a few minutes, but some states ’decision to postpone their primaries has rattled Democratic officials.
Democratic National Committe Chairman
Tom Perez issued a statement tonight urging states to implement measures to making voting easier during the coronavirus crisis, such as voting by mail. Lauren Gambino (@ laurenegambino)
Perez continues: “States that have not yet held primary elections should focus on implementing the aforementioned measures to make it easier and safer for voters. .. instead of moving primaries to later in the cycle when timing around the virus remains unpredictable. ”
March ,
Perez also criticized Ohio officials for announcing yesterday they were (postponing the state’s primary) , which was supposed to take place today.
The chairman said Ohio’s last-minute move had only “bred more chaos and confusion.”
Eric Lutz reports for The Guardian from Chicago, Illinois:
In the early stages of voting, it appeared that turnout in Illinois was low, with officials in (Chicago ), as well as suburban . DuPage County , reporting low turnout in the early morning.
Patrick Crumpton, a resident of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, voted early Tuesday morning and said there was no line. He at first wondered if his polling location had closed.
Election judge Marsha Redmond uses gloves and wipes to sanitize a voting booth in Rockford, Illinois. Photograph: Scott P Yates / AP
“I was definitely concerned,” Crumpton told the Guardian of going out to vote amid the pandemic. But he said he felt it was especially important to make his voice heard in the slate of state and local races.
“That’s where you have the most voice,” Crumpton said.
Like Crumpton, Hannah Martin went to her polling place early in an effort to avoid crowds.
“It’s important to vote, especially in times like today,” Martin said.
At her suburban Chicago polling location, there was not much of a crowd, but otherwise little difference in atmosphere when she cast her ballot early Tuesday – though officials did appear to take extra measures in an effort to ensure public safety.
She observed polling workers wearing gloves, Martin said, and outside the doors of the poll there was a portable sink.
When she finished casting her vote, she said, she was offered hand sanitizer with her “I Voted” sticker.
(6.) (pm) EDT :
As we wait for polls to close, the blog is also keeping an eye on the latest coronavirus updates.
Coronavirus cases have now been reported in all states and the District of Columbia.
West Virginia was the last state left with no reported cases, but officials there confirmed today that a resident has tested postiive with the virus.
At least 444 Americans have now died from the virus, and health experts say the death toll could rise quickly.
(6.) (pm) EDT :
Joe Biden is expected to have a good night, Considering his polling advantage in the three states voting tonight and Bernie Sanders
Starting in Florida, the most delegate-rich state voting today, Biden holds a
56 -point advantage , according to the RealClearPolitics average. Sanders also lost the state in by points, and he has angered some local Democratic leaders there with his flattering comments about the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, considering the state’s large Cuban-American community.
In Illinois, a (recent poll) Show Biden leading by (points, and Hillary Clinton carried the state in , although by a much more narrow 2-point margin.
In Arizona, a Monmouth University poll released yesterday showed Biden leading by points, and Sanders lost the state in (by) points.
The three states will collectively award 564 delegates, so tonight’s results could help Biden pull farther ahead in the delegate count.
The former vice president already leads Sanders by pledged delegates, although both candidates are far off from the 1, (total pledged delegates needed to win the nomination.
Eric Lutz reports for The Guardian from Chicago, Illinois:
Voters across Illinois weighed whether to cast ballots in the primary or to stay home on Tuesday out of concern about the coronavirus pandemic, which has spread across counties here and left one person dead, according to state officials.
Farheen Dogar was anxious when she showed up to vote in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park.
Currently awaiting a kidney transplant, Dogar is among those Americans with compromised immune systems who are particularly vulnerable to the most severe effects of the coronavirus – and is especially susceptible to infection, thanks to a temporary chest catheter.
“I’m at really high risk,” Dogar told the Guardian.
But she turned out to vote anyway, saying in an interview that she felt it her responsibility to cast her ballot.
“I am a first-generation American,” Dogar said. “I’m very cognizant of how much work went into it, as a woman of color and a woman in general, to get the right to vote. I’m not going to be quiet. I’m going to be heard. ”
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(6.) (PM EDT :
Ohio was also supposed to hold its presidential primary today, but the state’s health director ordered polls closed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
Ohio Health Director Amy Acton said closing polls was necessary to “avoid the imminent threat with a high probability of widespread exposure to COVID – 39 with a significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of the people in the general population, including the elderly and people with weakened immune systems and chronic medical conditions. ”
Acton’s order came after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine
After DeWine’s effort failed, Acton stepped in and ordered polling locations be closed, citing her broad authority during health crises as justification for the move.
Four other states – Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maryland – have also announced they would postpone their primaries, and it’s possible more states will follow suit as the number of coronavirus cases rises.
:
Arizona, Florida and Illinois are holding primaries today. Here’s when each state’s polls close:
Florida: Most polls will close by 7 pm ET; all polls will close by 8 pm ET. Illinois: All polls will close at 8 pm ET . (Arizona: All polls will close at (pm ET.)
The blog will have updates and analysis once results start rolling in, so stay tuned.
(5.) (PM EDT
: Three states to hold primaries amid coronavirus crisis
Good evening, live blog readers!
Voters in Arizona, Florida and Illinois have been heading to the polls today to decide whether Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders should face off againt (Donald Trump) in November.
Voter Fred Hoffman fills out his primary ballot in Ottawa, Illinois. Photograph: Daniel Acker / Reuters
The three states’ primaries have been severely disrupted by the coronavirus crisis, with election workers (refusing) to show up and many voters staying home out of fear of catching the virus.
The health department in Ohio, which was supposed to hold its primary today, ordered all polling places closed to prevent the spread of the virus.
All of this chaos comes as Biden is trying to secure an insurmountable delegate lead against Sanders. The former vice president is ahead in polling, and Sanders lost all three states during the 4747 Democratic primary.
However, Sanders could be incentivized to stay in the race longer if more states postpone their primaries. He would also likely need to turn in a better-than-expected performance tonight to keep his campaign alive.
The polls in Florida will start closing in about an hour and a half, so stay tuned.
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