Morning Distribution for Thursday, May 7, 2020

A [FiveThirtyEight]( email [Morning Distribution]( Thursday, May 7, 2020 Your daily briefing from FiveThirtyEight --------------------------------------------------------------- The Morning Story [US-HEALTH-VIRUS-POLITICS-VOTE-ELECTION]( [What Went Down In Ohio’s Primary]( By [Nathaniel Rakich]( The past month has given us a glimpse of how democracy functions — or doesn’t — in the age of the coronavirus, as the first handful of states have executed [rescheduled and retooled primary elections](. Wisconsin ultimately [did not move]( its April 7 election, [leading to long lines]( that may have contributed to the [spread of the coronavirus]( and leaving the state unprepared to handle a [flood of absentee-ballot requests](. On the other hand, Alaska and Wyoming [canceled all in-person voting]( in their Democratic presidential primaries and mailed a ballot to every eligible voter. But Ohio, which wrapped up its monthslong voting period last Tuesday, was a bit of a unique situation. The primary was originally scheduled for March 17, and for weeks leading up to that date, early and absentee voting proceeded as normal. But the day before, [confusion reigned]( as Gov. Mike DeWine said the election should be postponed but encountered resistance in the courts. Ultimately, DeWine’s side won out, and polling places did not open as scheduled (although ballots already cast early or absentee remained valid). Election officials initially said the new primary date would be June 2, but in late March the legislature stepped in and laid down new rules for an [almost entirely absentee ballot election]( ending on April 28. Like Alaska and Wyoming, the state eliminated virtually all polling places; only voters with a legal need (i.e., people with disabilities or without mailing addresses) were allowed to vote in person. But like Wisconsin, Ohio did little to make it easier for people to vote by mail. Voters were simply sent [postcards]( that contained instructions on how to apply for an absentee ballot. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Latest Data How popular is Donald Trump? [How popular is Donald Trump?]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Listen [Play]( [Was The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Too Good To Win (In Court)?]( [FiveThirtyEight] [View in browser]( [ABC News]( [Unsubscribe]( Our mailing address: FiveThirtyEight, 47 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023.