肯塔基州国务卿迈克尔·亚当斯（Michael G. Adams）今天宣布推迟该州总统初选，以预防冠状病毒扩散。原定于5月举行，初选现在预计于6月举行。
宣布这一消息后，肯塔基州成为路易斯安那州和佐治亚州正式推迟总统初选的第三个州。
亚当斯在周一的视频声明中说：“推迟初选不是一个容易的决定，但是共和党国务卿和民主党州长都同意，双方的县级书记也同意，他们都是我们的一线选举管理人。” 他说：“我希望这次延误将使我们能够进行正常选举。”
亚当斯继续说：“即使不是这样，这种延误也将使我，州选举委员会和我们县的书记员有时间评估为确保成功的初选而必须做出的改变。” “可能会有更多的变化，但这是第一步，我们可以为我们争取时间，并使我们的公民尽可能安全。”
在州长约翰·贝尔·爱德华兹（John Bel Edwards）签署行政命令后，路易斯安那州宣布推迟其主要的星期五。
爱德华兹在周五的新闻发布会上说：“原因包括考虑到大多数选区志愿者和工人的年龄以及减少与公众的接触的必要性，并且还要考虑到所有选民的最大参与度，不论他们的年龄和年龄。他们的健康状况。”
原定于三月举行，佐治亚州的总统初选也已改期至五月。佐治亚州国务卿布拉德·拉夫斯珀格（Brad Raffesperger）周六表示：“事件正在迅速发展，我的首要任务是保护民意调查人员和整个社区的健康。
俄亥俄州州长迈克·德威恩（Mike DeWine）建议将原定于周二举行的初选推迟到2020年6月。德威恩为此提出诉讼，因为他无权自己推迟选举。
DeWine在周一的新闻发布会上说：“我们不知道谁通过该线路感染了病毒。” “我们不应该强迫人们做出这种选择，即在他们的健康，宪法权利和作为美国公民的职责之间做出选择。”
然而，根据WCMH的报道，俄亥俄州一名法官驳回了DeWine的诉讼，理由是该缺席表决自2月份开始在俄亥俄州进行。
《新闻周刊》与DeWine的办公室取得联系，以发表评论，但没有及时得到答复以将其发表。
大约在美国东部时间10：15，DeWine在Twitter上宣布，尽管不会推迟选举，但由于冠状病毒，民意调查将在周二关闭。
DeWine写道：“在这次我们面临前所未有的公共卫生危机的时候，明天进行选举将迫使民意测验人员和选民面临无法接受的感染冠状病毒的健康风险。” “因此，@ DrAmyActon将下令以紧急状态关闭民意调查。虽然民意调查将于明天关闭，但国务卿@FrankLaRose将通过法院寻求补救办法，以扩大投票选择范围，以便希望投票的每个选民都能给予了机会。”
预定于周二举行初选的其他州，包括佛罗里达州，伊利诺伊州和亚利桑那州，预计将以通常的方式举行初选。
“美国人过去曾在充满挑战的时期参加过选举，根据我们从公共卫生官员那里获得的最佳信息，我们相信，我们各州的选民可以在这次选举中安全有保障地进行投票，否则投票结果很健康工人可以并且应该在星期二履行其爱国职责。”佛罗里达州，伊利诺伊州和亚利桑那州州长在周五发表的联合声明中写道。
唐纳德·特朗普总统在周一的新闻发布会上说，他不认为选举应该推迟，尽管他“会把选举留给各州”。
特朗普说：“这是一件大事，推迟选举。” “我认为推迟选举不是一件好事。他们在很多选举地方都有很大的空间，我认为他们会做得很好。但是我认为推迟选举是没有必要的。”
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams announced the postponement of the state's presidential primary elections today as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus. Originally scheduled to take place in May, the primaries are now expected to take place in June.
With that announcement, Kentucky became the third state to officially postpone the presidential primaries, along with Louisiana and Georgia.
"Postponing the primary was not an easy decision, but the Republican secretary of state and Democratic governor agree and so do county clerks of both parties, and they are our front line election administrators," Adams said in a video statement Monday. "My hope is that this delay will allow us to have a normal election."
"Even if not, this delay will allow me, the state board of elections and our county clerks time to assess what changes we must make to ensure a successful primary election," Adams continued. "There could be more changes but this was a first step to buy us time and keep our citizens as safe as possible."
Louisiana announced the delay of its primary Friday after Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order of postponement.
"The reasons include taking into account the older age of the majority of precinct volunteers and workers and the need to reduce public contact," Edwards said during a Friday news conference, "and also to allow maximum participation by all voters regardless of their age and their health conditions."
Originally scheduled for March, Georgia's presidential primaries were also rescheduled until May. "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 Raffesperger said Saturday.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recommended delaying his state's primary, scheduled for Tuesday, until June 2020. DeWine filed a lawsuit to that effect since he does not have the power to postpone the election himself.
"We don't know who coming through the line has been infected," DeWine said at a Monday news conference. "We should not force people to make this choice, a choice between their health and their constitutional rights and their duties as American citizens."
However, DeWine's lawsuit was rejected by an Ohio judge citing the fact that absentee voting had been open in Ohio since February, according to reporting from WCMH.
Newsweek reached out to DeWine's office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
At approximately 10:15 ET, DeWine announced on Twitter that though the election would not be delayed, the polls would be closed on Tuesday, due to the coronavirus.
"During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus," DeWine wrote. "As such,@DrAmyActon will order the polls closed as a health emergency. While the polls will be closed tomorrow, Secretary of State@FrankLaRose will seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity."
Other states scheduled to hold their primaries Tuesday, including Florida, Illinois and Arizona, are expected to hold their primaries in the usual fashion.
"Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past, and based on the best information we have from public health officials, we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election, and that otherwise healthy poll workers can and should carry out their patriotic duties on Tuesday," read a joint statement released on Friday from the secretaries of state of Florida, Illinois and Arizona.
President Donald Trump said in a news conference Monday that he doesn't think elections should be postponed, although he would "leave that up to the states."
"It's a big thing, postponing an election," Trump said. "I think postponing elections is not a very good thing. They have lots of room at a lot of the electoral places and I think they will do it very well. But I think postponing is unnecessary."
