Georgia election officials are postponing the state’s March 24 presidential primaries until May 19 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press reported.
Due to the risk that in-person voting creates for poll workers, who are often older, as well as the public, the statewide election will be postponed to the date that Georgia’s other 2020 primary elections are being held, election officials announced Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
Georgia officials’ decision to postpone the state presidential primaries follows a similar decision from Louisiana, which had its presidential primary postponed to June 20 instead of April 4, due to fears of spreading the coronavirus. (RELATED: Louisiana Postpones Presidential Primary Amid Coronavirus Concerns)
“Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers, and the community at large,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said, according to the Associated Press.
The decision to postpone Georgia’s primary comes after Gov. Brian Kemp signed a public health state of emergency beginning Saturday morning. Georgia has 64 cases of the coronavirus, the “largest increase over a 24 hour period to date,” Kemp said in a televised address, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.
.@GovKemp: Public Health Emergency in Georgia Effective Tomorrow
Read more: https://t.co/wbm1r88SyW #COVID19 #gapol
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) March 13, 2020
Raffensperger’s office made the decision to postpone the primary after consultation with the state Democratic and Republican parties, the Associated Press reported.