Today is primary day in Georgia, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, and West Virginia. See our primary preview here and come back at 7pm for our live coverage of today’s races….
RRH Elections…
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More than one million Georgia voters had already cast ballots before Tuesday, most of them by mail, after Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger sent absentee ballot applications to all active voters.
But those who had voted in person before Tuesday at early-voting sites had already reported long waits — in some cases up to seven hours. New rules for social distancing and disinfecting voting machines had caused many of those delays.
Matt Holmes said the absentee ballot he requested did not arrive, so he and his wife went to an early voting site on Friday at the College Park Library. But the wait turned out to be six hours in the Georgia sun. “Tempers were flaring,” Mr. Holmes said, adding that there were not enough voting machines to accommodate the volume.
Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina and West Virginia were also holding primary elections on Tuesday, without reports of widespread problems.
Georgia’s primaries were kicking off what could be an important political year in the state. Georgia Democrats, whose hopes have often been dashed in recent years, think they have a chance to turn the state blue in presidential and Senate races for the first time in at least two decades….
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) won South Carolina’s GOP Senate primary Tuesday as he seeks a fourth term.
Graham has faced difficulties in past primaries, winning only 56 percent of the vote in 2014, though he faced no difficulty Tuesday. Graham was declared the winner of the primary by The Associated Press less than an hour after polls closed at 7 p.m. ET. He was beating three other Republicans with 81 percent of the vote with less than 1 percent of precincts reporting.
“I am deeply grateful and humbled by the trust placed in me by South Carolina Republicans, and I will not let them down,” said Senator Graham in a statement. “The November election will be one of the most consequential in our history, and it will provide voters with a stark choice between the Democrats’ socialist agenda or security and prosperity through free enterprise and security.”
“Let it be known: I’m just getting warmed up!” he added.
Graham will face off against Democrat Jaime Harrison, a former party chairman who ran unopposed in his primary, in November….
More….
Georgia extended the closing time for a number of polling stations in counties in and around Atlanta amid reports of long lines and issues with voting machines.
Fulton County extended voting until 9 p.m. ET, DeKalb County extended voting until as late as 10:10 p.m. and Gwinnett County, just outside Atlanta, said voters could cast ballots until 7:30 p.m. Polls were initially set to close at 7 p.m. throughout the state.
A judge also allowed Muscogee County, which includes Columbus, to keep polling places open until 9 p.m.
The extensions follow an avalanche of criticism over Georgia’s handling of its primaries Tuesday, with voters complaining of long lines and malfunctioning voting machines in and around Atlanta. Reports emerged of voters leaving polling stations before casting their ballots.
The criticism has particularly focused on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), with some noting that the issues at voting places were concentrated in more diverse areas and less so in white neighborhoods.
Kemp narrowly beat Democrat Stacey Abrams in 2018, with Abrams and Democrats later claiming voter suppression had taken place….
More….
Republican Nancy Mace to face Joe Cunningham in South Carolina House race
CAMPAIGN
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North Dakota Gov. Burgum set to face Democrat Shelley Lenz in gubernatorial race
CAMPAIGN
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Shelley Moore Capito wins Senate primary
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Georgia officials launch investigation into election day chaos amid voter suppression concerns..
The Hill….
Luke Russert liked
Eric Holder
@EricHolder
Closed polling places. Opposition to vote by mail and early vote. Purging voter rolls. Unnecessary photo ID. Gerrymandering. Here’s the deal: many Republicans don’t want certain people to vote. They want to pick their voters. Vote for change in November – up and down the ballot.
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Ari Berman
@AriBerman
Georgia closed 214 polling places after Supreme Court gutted Voting Rights Act
There were 80 fewer polling places for June primary in metro Atlanta, where majority of black voters live
Mitch McConnell is blocking legislation passed by House Dems to restore the VRA
AP Politics
@AP_Politics
BREAKING: John Lewis wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Georgia’s 5th congressional district. #APracecall at 10:32 p.m. EDT. #Election2020 #GAprimary
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AP Politics
@AP_Politics
BREAKING: Alex Mooney wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in West Virginia’s 2nd congressional district. #APracecall at 9:49 p.m. EDT. #Election2020 #WVprimary
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AP Politics
@AP_Politics
BREAKING: Liz Johnson wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Georgia’s 12th congressional district. #APracecall at 10:35 p.m. EDT. #Election2020 #GAprimary