//Georgia to delay primary originally scheduled for March 24

Georgia to delay primary originally scheduled for March 24

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s March 24 presidential primaries will be postponed until May because of fears over the new coronavirus, state election officials announced Saturday, a day after Louisiana also pushed back its primaries.In-person early voting, which began statewide March 2, will be halted and the election will be moved to May 19, when Georgia’s other 2020 primary elections are being held, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement Saturday.In addition to public safety, one of the biggest considerations was the risk the virus posed to poll workers, who are often older, election officials said.“Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers, and the community at large,” Raffensperger said.The action followed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature of an emergency declaration that unlocked sweeping powers to fight COVID-19. In a speech Saturday, the governor renewed a call for places of