(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indiana is postponing its primary.
Indiana will vote on June 2, four weeks later than normal. That’ll give county clerks more time to get ready, and buy time in hopes the coronavirus pandemic will slacken off by then.
The state will also let you vote by mail if you want, so fewer people are in the polling places, allowing Hoosiers to continue the “social distancing” health officials warn is critical to slowing the spread of the virus.
The state Republican and Democratic Party chairs endorsed the move, which still requires approval next week from the Indiana Election Commission. Indiana will be the seventh state, along with Puerto Rico, to move its primary because of the outbreak.
Secretary of State Connie Lawson says to be prepared for the vote count to take longer than usual, with the larger volume of absentee ballots.
Indiana is picking nominees for nine state Senate seats, 35 Indiana House seats, and all nine congressional districts. If the Democratic presidential contest is still in progress, Indiana will be the third-largest delegate prize available. With Ohio and Maryland also moving their primaries, June 2 is now the second-biggest date on the nominating calendar, trailing only Super Tuesday.
