coronavirus

Biden Cruises to Victory in Florida Primary Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

219 delegates were at stake in Florida’s race, which could be a knockout for Sanders

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For full 2020 Florida primary results, click here.

Joe Biden cruised to victory over Bernie Sanders in Florida's Democratic Presidential primary Tuesday held amid mounting fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

NBC News projected Biden the winner of the primary when statewide polls closed at 8 p.m.

Election officials across Florida scrambled to run Tuesday's presidential primary as smoothly as possible amid the coronavirus outbreak, making last-minute changes to consolidate voting sites as poll workers dropped out.

Ohio postpones primary due to coronavirus concerns; Arizona, Florida and Illinois move forward with voting.

In Broward, before voting even began, one poll worker wore gloves to set up signs outside Miramar’s city hall.

Staffers said they had plenty of cleaning supplies on hand inside the precinct.

Janitors wiped down the glass front doors as voters trickled in between raindrops. Some voters also wore gloves, or carried hand sanitizer.

“Gotta be safe,” said Carlos Rivera, who held a bottle of hand cleanser. “It’s alcohol…90 percent.”

Closures, cutbacks and cancellations continue to mount as the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads in the U.S. Major cities and small towns alike are practically shutting down, leaving businesses, restaurants and even beaches mostly empty. But despite unparalleled efforts to limit crowds and contact, the illness is still spreading quickly.

Theresa Seldon put on a pair of purple latex gloves and said she would carry her own pen into vote.

“Life’s still got to go on,” she said.

Under an umbrella, Fitzroy Brown said he would take off his latex gloves before heading to work. 

He wore them “just to protect myself when I get inside there,” he said, speaking of the polling place.

Gov. Ron DeSantis decided Monday to push ahead with primary voting, saying he believed the election could be run safely despite the outbreak.

“We’re not going to panic,” DeSantis said. He said polling places likely wouldn't have large crowds on Tuesday, in part because many voters have made their choices already via mail or early voting. “I think you can do it in a way that’s going to protect people.”

About 1.9 million of the state’s voters had voted by mail or at early voting centers as of Monday afternoon, according statistics from the Division of Elections.

219 delegates were at stake in Florida’s race, which could be a knockout blow for Sanders. Sanders is currently struggling to keep up with Joe Biden after losses in Idaho, Michigan, Missouri and Mississippi last Tuesday.

A coalition of progressive groups was suing Florida in an attempt to extend mail-in balloting for the presidential primary into next week because of the coronavirus.

Dream Defenders, New Florida Majority and Organize Florida asked a federal judge on Tuesday to order Florida to allow voters to request a mail-in ballot through March 24 and postpone the count until March 27.

The groups cited the sudden relocation of 112 polling places in 22 counties and the fear voters will have if voting in-person is their only choice at this point.

As of Monday afternoon, Broward officials said they received 16 requests to move polling stations – there are 421 polling places in total.

Polling locations are being updated in real time on the Broward Supervisor of Elections homepage under the tab called ‘Notice of Election Day Precinct Locations.’

Also voting on Tuesday were Illinois and Arizona. After Ohio's health director ordered polls closed there, that state's election was rescheduled for June 2.

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