Georgia Postponing March 24 Presidential Primary Until May Because of Coronavirus

Georgia is postponing its presidential primary election, currently scheduled for March 24, until May due to concerns over the coronavirus, Fox News Channel just reported. The primary will now be held on May 19, according to Politico.

This makes Georgia the second state to postpone their primary. Louisiana, originally scheduled for April 4, was the first.

Democratic National Committee (DNC) rules require states to hold their presidential primary contests by June 9 and elect delegates by June 20. Georgia’s plan to hold their election in May still fits within these deadlines, but Louisiana’s announced rescheduled date of June 20 does not.

A state violating these rules risks losing at least half of their delegates. The Republican National Committee (RNC) has similar rules in place restricting when states may hold their presidential primaries. For example, Florida moved their primary earlier than the rules allowed in 2008 and 2012, and both the DNC and RNC penalized the state by revoking half of their delegates’ voting power, although they were still allowed to attend the conventions as non-voting members.

A DNC spokesperson told Fox News Channel that all changes in the presidential primary schedule “will be reviewed,” but that “we will continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection planning around coronavirus.”

Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio have primaries scheduled this coming Tuesday, March 17, and will proceed with their elections as scheduled.

This article has been updated to add the new date for the Georgia election.

Watch the video above, via Fox News Channel.