With victories in 7 states, Biden closes in on nomination

Joe Biden is on cusp of formally securing Democratic presidential mination after winning hundreds more delegates in primary contests Tuesday that tested nation's ability to run elections while balancing a pandemic and sweeping social unrest.

Biden could lock down mination within next week as West Virginia and Georgia hold primaries.

On Tuesday, voters across America were forced to navigate curfews, health concerns and National Guard troops — waiting in line hours after polls closed in some cases — after election officials dramatically reduced number of in-person voting sites to minimize spre of coronavirus outbreak.

Biden and President Donald Trump easily swept ir respective primary contests that ranged from Maryland to Montana and featured night’s biggest prize: Pennsylvania. two men are certain to face each or on presidential ballot in vember, yet party rules require m first to accumulate a majority of delegates in monthslong state-by-state primary season.

Trump

Pennsylvania, which offered Tuesday's largest trove of delegates, also represented a significant test case for Republicans and Democrats working to strengn ir operations in a premier general election battleground.

Voters were forced to brave long lines in “militarized zones” because officials consolidated vast majority of polling places in Philelphia to minimize health risks, according to Erin Kramer, executive director of One Pennsylvania. She ted that some polling places in African American communities are in police stations.

“Having to stand in line while police officers are entering and exiting building on police business is t exactly how people want to spend ir election day,” Kramer said.

Biden was in Philelphia earlier Tuesday to deliver remarks about civil unrest that has erupted across nation after police killing of

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is t actively campaigning for Democratic presidential mination, having

comments served as a reminder that Biden may have legitimate Democratic rivals remaining, but he must still win over skeptical activists from his party’s far-left flank, who worry he’s too close to political establishment.

Party unity was an afterthought this week, however, as more immediate health and safety concerns dominated national conversation. coronavirus death toll has

At same time, several major cities, particularly Washington, D.C., and Philelphia among those voting Tuesday, struggled to contain protests and related looting that led to thousands of arrests.

Some voters said Trump’s increasingly tough tone toward protesters inspired m to participate in democratic process. Nicholas Autiello, who works in finance in Rhode Island, said he was disturbed by police driving back peaceful demonstrators near White House on Monday.

“Last night, we have a president who is acting like a dictator,” Autiello said. “So being able to come out here this morning and fill in a circle next to a name for someone who I kw will restore hor and decency to presidency was so important.”

Political groups have h to just as some states move to a system that relies largely on voting by mail. y include Montana, where all 56 counties decided to vote entirely by mail, despite Trump's repeated warning against it. Voting rights watchdogs in multiple states on Tuesday expressed concerns about access to mail ballots, confusion about delines and a short of poll workers that led to long lines.

“We are in unique times, and voting is a unique challenge for people,” said Josh Schwerin, chief strategist for pro-Democrat super PAC Priorities USA. He said that his organization and ors would be watching closely on Tuesday “to see how well it works, where issues are and where obstacles have been put in place.”

Those voting Tuesday included District of Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota. Two or states holding primary elections on Tuesday, Idaho and Iowa, chose ir presidential minee early in year.

In Iowa, Republican Rep. Steve King, kwn nationally for controversial remarks, lost his bid to be minated for a 10th term to state Sen. Randy Feenstra. House Republicans stripped King of his committee assignments in 2019 after comments that seemed to defend white nationalism, providing fuel for Feenstra's argument that King was longer an effective representative for 4th District.

In a New Mexico race for an open House seat, ex-CIA operative Valerie Plame lost Democratic primary to attorney Teresa Leger Fernandez, a professional vocate for Native American communities and voting rights issues. A first-time candidate for public office, Plame harnessed her fame as operative whose secret identity was exposed shorty after her diplomat husband disputed U.S. intelligence used to justify 2003 Iraq invasion.