Rhode Island Becomes Latest US State to Delay Presidential Primary Over Coronavirus Fears

Currently, over 380,000 people worldwide have contracted the COVID-19 infection, including in the United States, where the number of those infected across the country has passed 43,900 with 533 killed, leading to the postponement of the ongoing presidential primaries across the country in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.

The US state of Rhode Island is delaying both the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries in the state due to the continuing spread of the coronavirus in the country, according to an executive order signed by Governor Gina Raimondo on Monday.

Raimondo moved the primaries, which were originally scheduled to take place on 28 April, to 2 June. She also noted that the state board of elections would determine a "predominantly mail ballot" primary.

Last week, the Board of Elections requested that the presidential primary election be postponed from April 28 to June 2 and that the election take place primarily by mail ballot. I am following the advice of the Board of Elections, and will sign an executive order to do this.

— Gina Raimondo (@GovRaimondo) March 23, 2020

“The Rhode Island Secretary of State joins in the Board's request that the Primary be predominantly a mail ballot election … the State continues to work tirelessly to contain the spread of COVID19 within its borders,” the executive order reads.

The development comes shortly after a number of other states such as Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, Connecticut and Kentucky postponed their primaries until summer, due to the coronavirus pandemic.