Marty Goetz, right, and Diane White, prepare the voting screens as they start to set up a polling place Monday, June 1, 2020, for the voting for Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary in Jackson Township near Zelienople, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
By Steve Peoples
Voters are navigating curfews, health concerns, and a sharp increase in mail balloting on Tuesday as elections take place from Maryland to Montana.
Four states were originally scheduled to vote in April but delayed their contests because of the coronavirus outbreak. Pennsylvania offers the day's biggest trove of delegates and represents a high-profile test case for Republicans and Democrats working to strengthen their operations in one of the most important general election battlegrounds.
“We think we’re prepared,” Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills said. “Thank goodness we have the opportunity of working this out in the primary because we don’t know where we’ll be with the pandemic in November.”
Joe Biden was in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning to deliver remarks about the civil unrest that has erupted across the nation after the police killing of George Floyd. He didn't talk about the primary, instead, focusing his attention on President Donald Trump, whom Biden blasted as “more interested in power than in principle.”
Biden is already the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and needs to win 89% of all delegates at stake on Tuesday to formally clinch the nomination. With a dominant showing on Super Tuesday in early March, the former vice president pushed out all his major opponents. He will almost certainly secure the needed delegates later in the month, if necessary.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is not actively campaigning, having suspended his operation and endorsed Biden, but his name will appear on the ballots. On the eve of Tuesday's primaries, senior adviser Jeff Weaver encouraged progressives to vote for Sanders anyway.
“People who support Bernie Sanders and his agenda, who want to maximize the influence of progressives at the convention, should cast their vote for Bernie Sanders,” Weaver said, reminding voters that the Vermont senator is seeking leverage to shape the party's platform and rules.
The comments serve as a reminder that Biden may have no legitimate Democratic rivals remaining but must still win over skeptical activists from his party’s far-left flank, who worry he’s too close to the political establishment.
Party unity will likely be an afterthought this week, however, as more immediate health and safety concerns dominate the national conversation. The coronavirus death toll has surged past 100,000 nationwide, and thousands of new cases are reported each day.
At the same time, several major cities, including some voting Tuesday, are grappling with protests.
Some voters said Trump’s increasingly tough tone toward protesters inspired them to participate in the democratic process. Nicholas Autiello, who works in finance in Rhode Island, said he was disturbed by police driving back peaceful demonstrators near the White House on Monday.
“Last night, we have a president who is acting like a dictator,” Autiello said. “So being able to come out here this morning and fill in a circle next to a name for someone who I know will restore honor and decency to the presidency was so important.”
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered a 7 p.m. curfew on Tuesday, though voting places will be open until 8 p.m. Voting has been deemed essential, and city officials say voters will not be subject to arrest if they cast ballots during the curfew. Philadelphia moved its 6 p.m. curfew back to 8:30 p.m. for Tuesday to accommodate voting.
“We are in unique times, and voting is a unique challenge for people,” said Josh Schwerin, chief strategist for the pro-Democrat super PAC Priorities USA. He said that his organization and others will be watching closely on Tuesday “to see how well it works, where issues are and where obstacles have been put in place.”
Political groups have had to adjust as some states move to a system that relies largely on voting by mail. They include Montana, where all 56 counties decided to vote entirely by mail. Voting rights watchdogs in multiple states have expressed concerns about access to mail ballots, confusion about deadlines, and a shortage of poll workers that could lead to long lines.
Those voting Tuesday include the District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Dakota. Another state holding primary elections, Iowa, chose its presidential nominee early in the year and focused on other offices.
___
Associated Press writer Rodrique Ngowi in Providence, R.I., contributed to this report.
Members of Congress have voted to advance a bill meant to address antitrust concerns related to tech giants including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. The 'American Innovation and Choice Online Act' is largely seen as one of the best chances for the government to reign in Big Tech's dominance
Seth Schachner, Managing Director StratAmericas; Digital Business Executive joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
American semiconductor company, Intel officially announcing plans to build a new $20 billion chip manufacturing complex outside Columbus, Ohio. This comes as the global chip shortage continues to hamper production of everything from smart phones, to cars. Jennifer Smith - Logistics and Supply Chain Reporter, WSJ joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The U.S. has put more than 8,000 American troops on high alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe as the West prepares for a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. With Russia building up more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, concerns over the country's behavior are mounting. Joel Rubin, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and President of the Washington Strategy Group, joined Cheddar to discuss what this means for U.S.-Russia relations, and where the conflict might be heading next.
As the midterm election looms, things aren't looking too promising for President Joe Biden. One year into his term as president, Biden is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president, threatening his party's control of the House in 2022. Brian Bennett, Senior White House Correspondent for TIME, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
A full one year into his term as President of The United States, President Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday, facing questions on everything from inflation to chip shortages and covid-19. As Biden enters his second year in office, he is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president. Kate Davidson, Reporter, POLITICO joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
"Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power" is the story of how the longtime House Democrat became, as she Is known to some, as "the Conscience of Congress." The film also
shows Representative Lee from her days working to fight community poverty to famously becoming the only member of Congress to vote "no" against the war in Afghanistan days after 9/11. The film is nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and Premieres on Starz on February 1. Film director Abby Ginzberg and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif. 13th District), joined Cheddar to discuss more.
San Diego has just implemented a new law that could set the stage for how the country deals with food waste. This new law hopes to make a dent in that. Businesses and groceries stores out in San Diego will need to put a plan in place to *donate edible food rather than toss it straight to the trash. Food Rescue Manager at Feeding San Diego, Kate Garret
Earlier this month, New York City experienced one of the deadliest fires it has seen in decades. 17 people lost their lives in the Fordham section of the Bronx. This was due to a faulty space heater which reportedly began on the lower floor of the 120 unit building. Thanks to the F. D. N. Y. And heroic neighbors, many were able to get out in time. Unfortunately, the toxic smoke surged upwards through a safety door. Now, many advocates say negligence by policymakers and landlords has led to the deaths in black and brown communities from fires that honestly could have been preventable. Legislative Director of Citizen Action of New York, Rebecca Garrard, and the Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies at St. Joseph's College Theodore Hamm, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court has declined to order the Texas Abortion case back to the original trial judge for further proceedings. Essentially if Texas abortion providers were able to get their case back to the lower court., It would have greatly helped the group move against the law. However, this decision is likely to prolong the case legal battle. Professor and Author of "The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having — Or Being Denied — An Abortion", Diane Foster, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court rejected yet another bid by abortion providers to block Texas's law - which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. This is the fourth time that advocates have tried and failed to block the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. Leah Litman, assistant professor of law at The University of Michigan and co-host of the "Strict Scrutiny" podcast, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
