Indiana postpones primary due to coronavirus fears

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announced Friday that his state will postpone its May 5 primary to June 2, making the Hoosier State the seventh to delay its nominating contest over the coronavirus.

“The right of citizens to elect their leaders in a free and open election is one of the cornerstones of America. In order to balance that right with the safety of county employees, poll workers and voters, delaying Indiana’s primary election is the right move as we continue to do all we can to protect Hoosiers’ health,” Holcomb said in a statement.

Besides postponing the primary, Holcomb, Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer and Democratic Party Chairman John Zody announced several moves intended to make voting easier, including suspending absentee by-mail rules to allow all Indianans the option to vote by mail, and allowing county clerks to continually mail ballots from today until 12 days before the new primary election date. 

“I believe the bi-partisan recommendations we have asked the Indiana Election Commission to take will allow us to provide all Hoosiers the opportunity to vote,” said Lawson. 

Indiana’s primary will award a total of 82 pledged delegates.

The move comes as the Hoosier State braces for further impacts from the coronavirus outbreak. Eighty-three people in Indiana are confirmed to have contracted the illness, and two have died as of Friday afternoon. 

Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Maryland and Ohio have already announced that they will postpone their primaries due to the pandemic.