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Indiana Primary Election Moving To June 2 Amid COVID-19 Concerns

Lauren Chapman
/
IPB News

Indiana’s 2020 primary election will move to June 2 in response to COVID-19 concerns.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, Secretary of State Connie Lawson and state party leaders announced the unprecedented change Friday.

Lawson says county clerks have reported trouble recruiting poll workers and concerns about health and safety logistics to hold Indiana’s primary election May 5. She says pushing the date back to June 2 will ensure the state holds a “safe, secure and fair election.”

As part of the shift, the Election Commission is expected to allow all Hoosiers to vote by mail without an excuse – though Lawson says some clerks are worried they don’t have the capacity for that.

“That’s one reason why we agreed to leave the in-person option,” Lawson says.

LEE MAS: ¿Qué Necesita Saber Acerca Del Coronavirus? Tenemos Respuestas.

READ MORE: What Do You Need To Know About Coronavirus? We’ve Got Answers.

Lawson says the state will still need poll workers June 2, and she hopes people out of work because of COVID-19 will get involved.

“I hope that we can recruit and pay them to work our elections,” Lawson says.

The Election Commission will make other changes next week to comply with the shift, like moving back the voter registration deadline. Lawson says she also hopes the commission will approve a way to apply online for a mail-in ballot.

Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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