尽管COVID-19冠状病毒大流行，但周二在亚利桑那州和佛罗里达州举行的民主党初选中的投票人数仍超过了2016年的水平。
据当地新闻报道，尽管面对面投票的人很少，但在亚利桑那州提前投票意味着投票率比2016年有所上升。同样，在选举日投票是在佛罗里达州稀疏，但高提前投票导致的估计显示整体投票稍上方以前的总统初选。
尽管发生了大流行，伊利诺伊州还是第三个选择在周二继续投票的州。该州的整体投票率显着下降，因为很少有人到投票站露面。
前副总统乔·拜登在佛罗里达州和伊利诺伊州赢得了参议员伯尼·桑德斯的决定性胜利。截至周二晚上，亚利桑那州尚未有结果公布，但该州的早期预测也表明拜登很可能会获胜。
俄亥俄原定也将投票，但由于公众健康问题，周一将初选推迟至7月2日。由于该病毒，佐治亚州，肯塔基州和路易斯安那州也推迟了初选。
俄亥俄州州长迈克·德威恩（Mike DeWine）周一晚在Twitter上宣布该州的卫生官员将介入初选时，呼吁允许投票进行“不可接受的健康风险”。
DeWine在推特上说：“在这段时间里，我们面临前所未有的公共卫生危机，明天明天举行选举将迫使民意调查人员和选民面临无法承受的感染冠状病毒的健康风险。”
亚利桑那州的官员表示，他们决定周二继续前进，因为大流行导致了不确定的未来。
亚利桑那州国务卿霍布斯在新闻发布会上说：“我们不能保证将来会有更安全的时间举行选举。”
拜登在民主党总统候选人提名竞选中似乎几乎已经获得了胜利，但是由于COVID-19而使该国陷入的混乱似乎比两位候选人的选举都更加令人担忧。
拜登在特拉华州威尔明顿的家中发表的致辞中说：“应对这种大流行是国家紧急状态，类似于打仗。这需要政府各个领域的领导和合作。”
桑德斯说，大流行带来的威胁“正在一场大规模战争中”。他还没有采取任何鼓励措施，鼓励选民在当天早些时候的Twitter帖子中进行民意调查，同时鼓励那些确实向疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）寻求指导的选民。
“虽然亚利桑那州，佛罗里达州和伊利诺伊州今天仍在投票，但在冠状病毒爆发期间进行民意测验是个人决定，我们尊重选民的选择。如果您要进行民意测验，请参阅疾病预防控制中心关于确保自己安全的指南。”在Twitter上发布了Sanders。
HERE'S WHY VOTER TURNOUT IN FLORIDA AND ARIZONA WERE BIGGER THIS YEAR THAN 2016 DESPITE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Voter turnout for Democratic primaries in Arizona and Florida was estimated to exceed 2016 levels on Tuesday, despite the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Although in-person turnout was low, early voting in Arizona meant that turnout was up from 2016, according to local news. Similarly, election day voting was sparse in Florida, but high early voting resulted in estimates showing overall turnout was slightly above the previous presidential primary.
Illinois was the third state choosing to go ahead with voting on Tuesday despite the pandemic. Overall turnout was significantly down in the state due to very low numbers of people showing up to polling places.
Former Vice President Joe Biden won decisive victories over Senator Bernie Sanders in Florida and Illinois. Results were not yet available in Arizona as of Tuesday night, but early projections in the state also indicated Biden was likely to win.
Ohio had been scheduled to vote as well, but on Monday postponed the primary until July 2 over public health concerns. Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana have also postponed their primaries due to the virus.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called allowing voting to go forward an "unacceptable health risk" when announcing on Twitter Monday night that health officials in the state would be stepping in to call of the primary.
"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," tweeted DeWine.
Officials in Arizona said they decided to go ahead on Tuesday because the pandemic has resulted in an uncertain future.
"We have no guarantee that there will be a safer time to hold this election in the future," said Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs during a press conference.
Biden appears to have all but sealed victory in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination but the chaos the country has been thrown into due to COVID-19 appeared to be a far bigger concern than the election for both candidates.
"Tackling this pandemic is a national emergency, akin to fighting a war. It's going to require leadership and cooperation from every area of government," said Biden in a victory speech conducted from his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
Sanders said the threat posed by the pandemic was "on the scale of a major war." He also did not do much to encourage voters to go to the polls in a Twitter post earlier in the day, while encouraging those that did to seek guidance from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"While Arizona, Florida and Illinois are still voting today, going to the polls amid the coronavirus outbreak is a personal decision and we respect whichever choice voters make. If you do go to the polls, please see CDC guidance on keeping yourself safe," tweeted Sanders.
