How the coronavirus is upending American politics

  most elemental act of American democracy — voting — will be tested Tuesday as four states set to hold presidential primaries confront impact of a global pandemic that has turned everyday life upside-down.

Leers sent conflicting signals about how to approach next steps amid coronavirus outbreak. As health officials warned against garings of greater than 10 people, President Donald Trump said elections should proceed. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine went to court to try to push his state's primary into June while elections officials in Arizona, Illiis and Florida said y were moving forward with plans to vote.

rapidly shifting developments amounted to a kind of chaos rarely seen in an election season. And it may t end soon as some states that have presidential contests in coming weeks have alrey moved to postpone m and ors were being pressed to follow.

"se are unusual restrictions," Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, said of recommended federal limits to control spre of virus. Her group is urging delaying that state's 2020 presidential primary from April 28 to June 3 when congressional and legislative primaries are alrey scheduled.

“rmally, we do t support postponing elections, but se are extraordinary circumstances," Lerner said.

Campaigns spent Monday sifting through data and talking to contacts on ground to assess impact of coronavirus on turut in places that will hold elections on Tuesday. Former Vice President Joe Biden is moving closer to securing Democratic presidential mination, but could face a setback if older voters who tend to support him don't show up. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, can't afford to lose support from young voters who have been his most loyal supporters.

tumult has left campaign in a state of suspended animation. In-person rallies have been replaced with sometimes-awkward virtual events.

Sanders, last Democrat standing between Biden and mination, isn't planning to drop out. Although his campaign looked to have where to go after a big loss last week in Michigan, top visers w see downside to staying in race as y assess how coming days and weeks unfold.

On Monday night, Sanders is staging a virtual rally featuring himself, rocker Neil Young and activist actress Daryl Hannah. He also released a video criticizing Biden for suggesting as a senator that he'd be willing to cut Social Security benefits — a line of attack he employed frequently during Sunday's debate.

Sanders' team h expected Biden to do well in all four states that were set to vote on Tuesday. But Vermont senator has also cast some doubt about entire process, saying one should risk being infected while voting and ting that it’s important “to make sure that everybody who wants to vote has right to vote, and that may t be case w.”

Still, Sanders faces an increasingly tough path to mination. About half of delegates in Democratic primary have alrey been awarded and, if Biden has ar big night Tuesday, he will p an alrey large and perhaps insurmountable le. Sanders trails Biden by more than 150 delegates nationally, meaning he'd need to win more than 57% of those yet to be allocated to clinch Democratic mination.

Biden's campaign is trying t to look presumptuous about its prospects at this sensitive moment. Still, former vice president is making moves to rally more voters to his campaign, including his anuncement during debate that he would choose a woman as a running mate.

Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman and one of Biden’s campaign co-chairs, said former vice president has “started process of looking at people seriously.”

Biden will make his second attempt at a virtual town hall, this time with his wife, Jill, late Monday. first effort Friday was marred by technical difficulties, a testament to new landscape for candidate and his aides as y try to balance what amounts to a national shut-in with demands of an ongoing campaign.

coming weeks will present ditional uncertainties. After Tuesday, campaign h been set to shift to Georgia next week, but officials re have alrey postponed ir Democratic primary until May 19. That means voting isn't scheduled again anywhere until March 29 in Puerto Rico — and island officials are also seeking a delay.

first week in April, meanwhile, would have featured Louisiana, but its decision to delay primary until May leaves only primaries in farflung Alaska and Hawaii and caucuses in Wyoming through April 4. That could leave campaign in furr limbo, perhaps prolonging a primary race that might orwise have been wrapped up.

Voting rights groups have vocated for upcoming elections to be postponed, or for states holding m as scheduled to opt more lenient vote-by-mail and absentee ballot rules so that people don't have to choose between showing up at a polling place and putting ir health at risk.

Mustafa Tameez, a Democratic strategist with ties to many of party's top dors, ted that Americans voted during World War I and World War II. More recent voting during crisis came on morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when balloting was alrey underway but was suspended for two weeks in New York's mayoral primary because of terrorist attacks.

“re should be circumstance in which we say, because of a crisis — regardless of crisis — that we stop our electoral government," Tameez said.