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    New Mexico Supreme Court blocks plan for mail-in primary; state’s GOP claims win

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    The state Supreme Court in New Mexico on Tuesday evening rejected a proposal to convert the state’s planned June 2 primary election into a vote-by-mail poll.

    The decision followed a hearing of more than two-and-a-half hours that was conducted via video because of coronavirus precautions, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

    More than two dozen of the state’s elected officials had proposed the mail-in plan, citing concern for public health, the newspaper reported.

    BIDEN PROJECTED WINNER IN WISCONSIN PRIMARY AFTER DELAYED RESULTS

    But the court issued a unanimous decision against the plan just before 6 p.m. local time, ruling that state law prohibits them from ordering a mail-in election.

    Instead, the justices directed county clerks or the secretary of state to send absentee ballots to all registered voters and encourage them to use those ballots, rather than show up at the polls, the Santa Fe Reporter wrote.

    “The relief that is requested is specifically prohibited by New Mexico statute … which says that a mail ballot shall not be delivered by the county clerk to anyone other than the applicant for the ballot,” Chief Justice Judith Nakamura said, according to the Reporter. “That being said, there is no prohibition regarding the secretary of state or county clerk from mailing out an application for an absentee ballot. Under the circumstance of this pandemic it is indisputable that in-person voting poses a substantial health risk to the state of New Mexico and therefore absentee ballot voting is the preferred method.”

    Robert Forrestal, left, wears a full face chemical shield to protect against the spread of coronavirus, as he votes Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at the Janesville Mall in Janesville, Wis. (Associated Press)

    The mail-in plan had been proposed by 27 of the state’s 33 elected county clerks and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the Reporter wrote.

    State Republicans saw the court’s ruling as a victory, the report said.

    “The court’s refusal to rewrite New Mexico election law — to allow the unsolicited mailing of live ballots as part of an all vote-by-mail (VBM) election — shows the proper respect for the importance of election integrity, even in the face of the challenges posed by COVID-19,” the state GOP said in a statement.

    Carter Harrison, an attorney for the state Republican, assured the court that other options were available besides a mail-in election, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

    For example, county clerks could seek court approval to dramatically reduce in-person polling locations while launching an information campaign to encourage absentee voting, he said.

    Toulouse Oliver said she would comply with the court’s ruling.

    CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

    “Though the court today did not agree with the proposal put forward by my office and the state’s county clerks for an all-mail primary election in order to protect both the health and the rights of New Mexico voters, voters will still have everything they need to make their voices heard on June 2,” she wrote. “My office will comply with the court’s order and mail absentee ballot applications to all voters registered with a major political party. That’s why it’s important that eligible voters register to vote or update their voter registrations by May 5.”

    Ballots must be mailed to overseas and military voters by this Saturday, with election workers hired by April 21, the report said. Early voting at in-person stations is scheduled to begin May 15.

    Why now? Sanders’ abrupt dropout came ahead of more bad news likely for campaign

    It’s been three weeks since former Vice President Joe Biden swept Sen. Bernie Sanders in major primaries in Florida, Illinois and Arizona, boosting his lead over the populist senator from Vermont in the crucial race for convention delegates to over 300 and cementing his role as the all but certain Democratic presidential nominee.

    After those crushing defeats, Sanders said he was “reassessing” his presidential campaign but later stressed that he still had a “narrow path” to win the nomination.

    SANDERS SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, MAKING BIDEN THE CLEAR PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

    So why did Sanders pick Wednesday as the day to formally suspend his presidential campaign?

    Wisconsin’s primary may have had something to do with the timing.

    Sanders easily won the state’s 2016 Democratic presidential primary over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton. But the final public opinion polls before Tuesday’s contest suggested Biden leading the progressive senator by a nearly two-to-one margin.

    The results in Wisconsin won’t be known until early next week – following federal district court ruling held up by the U.S. Supreme Court that delayed reporting the results for nearly a week. But a Democratic strategist close to the Sanders campaign suggested that intel how the vote was trending may have contributed to the timing of the senator’s announcement.

    The strategist – who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely – said that “by calling it today, Sanders gets to own the narrative.”

    Sanders’ announcement also came just a couple of days after the Washington Post reported that his top aides – including longtime political strategist Jeff Weaver and 2020 campaign manager Faiz Shakir – encouraged the senator to end his presidential campaign.

    A Democratic operative with ties to Sanders told Fox News, “How do you continue on when you have a campaign manager who apparently doesn’t believe in the cause anymore.”

    SANDERS RAISES EYEBROWNS WITH MOVE TO STAY ON PRIMARY BALLOTS, AMASS CONVENTION DELEGATES

    In his announcement that he was suspending his campaign, Sanders acknowledged, “We are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible. … I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful.”

    Sanders emphasized, “If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign. But it’s just not there. … I cannot in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win.”

    A progressive adviser who’s close to the campaign noted that “the handwriting had been on the wall for quite some time.”

    The adviser said that like every decision made by the senator and his wife Jane, “it comes down to what works best for Sanders’ political movement… He’s clearly decided that the best course of action to further the movement was to end the campaign for the nomination.”

    Sanders has always stressed that his two presidential campaigns were more than just that – that they were a political revolution.

    And on Wednesday, the senator emphasized that “while this campaign is coming to an end, our movement is not….the fight for justice is what our campaign has been about. The fight for justice is what our movement remains about.”

    THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    Sanders was flying high in February – thanks to a partial victory the Iowa caucuses, an outright win in the New Hampshire primary, and a landslide victory in the Nevada caucuses. The candidate zoomed to front-runner status – but it was short-lived.

    Biden crushed Sanders and the rest to the still relatively large Democratic field of White House hopefuls in South Carolina, jump-starting his campaign.

    The Democratic strategist with close ties to the campaign said that the week leading up to the South Carolina primary – which Biden was expected to win – “was the time to get as many mainstream Democrats and trusted names in the Democratic Party to coalesce around Sanders.”

    But the source charged, “The campaign kind of did a victory dance in the endzone for a week instead of really building. I think the campaign really underestimated what a win for Biden in South Carolina would look like and how it would turn the tide.”

    Two fellow moderate Democratic rivals – Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg — immediately dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden following his Palmetto State victory, which was larger than expected.

    While the centrist wing of the party started coalescing around Biden in two days following the South Carolina primary and ahead of the coast-to-coast contests on Super Tuesday, Sanders didn’t enjoy a similar coalescing of the progressive wing of the party – as fellow populist Sen. Elizabeth Warren remained in the race.

    Biden ended up taking 10 of the 14 contests on Super Tuesday – growing his delegate lead over Sanders and sparking a tidal wave of support among Democrats nationwide.

    “I do think that Warren staying in the campaign through Super Tuesday hurt the campaign because I think if Warren had dropped out before March 3, Sanders would have won Maine, Minnesota,” the strategist predicted.

    The day after Super Tuesday, the last remaining moderate candidate – former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg – suspended his campaign. A day later Warren ended her bid, essentially turning the Democratic nomination race into a two-candidate showdown between Biden and Sanders.

    Why now? Sanders’ abrupt dropout came ahead of more bad news likely for campaign

    It’s been three weeks since former Vice President Joe Biden swept Sen. Bernie Sanders in major primaries in Florida, Illinois and Arizona, boosting his lead over the populist senator from Vermont in the crucial race for convention delegates to over 300 and cementing his role as the all but certain Democratic presidential nominee.

    After those crushing defeats, Sanders said he was “reassessing” his presidential campaign but later stressed that he still had a “narrow path” to win the nomination.

    SANDERS SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, MAKING BIDEN THE CLEAR PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

    So why did Sanders pick Wednesday as the day to formally suspend his presidential campaign?

    Wisconsin’s primary may have had something to do with the timing.

    Sanders easily won the state’s 2016 Democratic presidential primary over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton. But the final public opinion polls before Tuesday’s contest suggested Biden leading the progressive senator by a nearly two-to-one margin.

    The results in Wisconsin won’t be known until early next week – following federal district court ruling held up by the U.S. Supreme Court that delayed reporting the results for nearly a week. But a Democratic strategist close to the Sanders campaign suggested that intel how the vote was trending may have contributed to the timing of the senator’s announcement.

    The strategist – who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely – said that “by calling it today, Sanders gets to own the narrative.”

    Sanders’ announcement also came just a couple of days after the Washington Post reported that his top aides – including longtime political strategist Jeff Weaver and 2020 campaign manager Faiz Shakir – encouraged the senator to end his presidential campaign.

    A Democratic operative with ties to Sanders told Fox News, “How do you continue on when you have a campaign manager who apparently doesn’t believe in the cause anymore.”

    SANDERS RAISES EYEBROWNS WITH MOVE TO STAY ON PRIMARY BALLOTS, AMASS CONVENTION DELEGATES

    In his announcement that he was suspending his campaign, Sanders acknowledged, “We are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible. … I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful.”

    Sanders emphasized, “If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign. But it’s just not there. … I cannot in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win.”

    A progressive adviser who’s close to the campaign noted that “the handwriting had been on the wall for quite some time.”

    The adviser said that like every decision made by the senator and his wife Jane, “it comes down to what works best for Sanders’ political movement… He’s clearly decided that the best course of action to further the movement was to end the campaign for the nomination.”

    Sanders has always stressed that his two presidential campaigns were more than just that – that they were a political revolution.

    And on Wednesday, the senator emphasized that “while this campaign is coming to an end, our movement is not….the fight for justice is what our campaign has been about. The fight for justice is what our movement remains about.”

    THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    Sanders was flying high in February – thanks to a partial victory the Iowa caucuses, an outright win in the New Hampshire primary, and a landslide victory in the Nevada caucuses. The candidate zoomed to front-runner status – but it was short-lived.

    Biden crushed Sanders and the rest to the still relatively large Democratic field of White House hopefuls in South Carolina, jump-starting his campaign.

    The Democratic strategist with close ties to the campaign said that the week leading up to the South Carolina primary – which Biden was expected to win – “was the time to get as many mainstream Democrats and trusted names in the Democratic Party to coalesce around Sanders.”

    But the source charged, “The campaign kind of did a victory dance in the endzone for a week instead of really building. I think the campaign really underestimated what a win for Biden in South Carolina would look like and how it would turn the tide.”

    Two fellow moderate Democratic rivals – Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg — immediately dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden following his Palmetto State victory, which was larger than expected.

    While the centrist wing of the party started coalescing around Biden in two days following the South Carolina primary and ahead of the coast-to-coast contests on Super Tuesday, Sanders didn’t enjoy a similar coalescing of the progressive wing of the party – as fellow populist Sen. Elizabeth Warren remained in the race.

    Biden ended up taking 10 of the 14 contests on Super Tuesday – growing his delegate lead over Sanders and sparking a tidal wave of support among Democrats nationwide.

    “I do think that Warren staying in the campaign through Super Tuesday hurt the campaign because I think if Warren had dropped out before March 3, Sanders would have won Maine, Minnesota,” the strategist predicted.

    The day after Super Tuesday, the last remaining moderate candidate – former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg – suspended his campaign. A day later Warren ended her bid, essentially turning the Democratic nomination race into a two-candidate showdown between Biden and Sanders.

    Political reaction to Bernie Sanders’ decision to suspend campaign

    Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., suspended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday in a decision that cleared the way for former Vice President Joe Biden to lace up the party’s nomination and face off with President Trump in November.

    While the news was not unexpected due to Biden’s significant lead in delegates and strong support in both the polls and from other influential Democrats, it drew a wide range of reactions from voices throughout the political world.

    Here’s how those in politics are reacting to Sanders’ decision to drop out of the presidential race.

    SANDERS SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, RENDERING BIDEN PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE

    Joe Biden

    Biden issued a lengthy statement on his relationship with Sanders, touting his former rival’s efforts to change “the dialogue in America.”

    “Bernie has done something rare in politics. He hasn’t just run a political campaign; he’s created a movement,” Biden said. “Issues which had been given little attention — or little hope of ever passing — are now at the center of the political debate. Income inequality, universal health care, climate change, free college, relieving students from the crushing debt of student loans. These are just a few of the issues Bernie and his supporters have given life to.”

    Biden continued: “And while Bernie and I may not agree on how we might get there, we agree on the ultimate goal for these issues and many more.”

    Former presidential candidates

    Sanders’ former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination sent the senator well-wishes and thanked him for his contributions to the debate within the party.

    Former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg said he looks “forward to teaming up to end the Trump presidency” with Sanders.

    TRUMP SAYS SANDERS LOST BECAUSE OF ELIZABETH WARREN

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who many blamed for Sanders’ downfall after she stayed in the presidential race through Super Tuesday, allegedly siphoning votes from Sanders, complimented the self-declared democratic socialist’s “fight for progressive ideas.”

    Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., reminisced on how she and Sanders “came into the Senate together.”

    Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro called Sanders a “tireless advocate for those who need it most.”

    Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang was straight to the point.

    “Bernie Sanders is a f—ing hero. Let’s come together and beat this guy,” he said.

    GOP REP. STEFANIK CLAIMS VICTORY AFTER CUOMO SOFTENS ORDER BRINGING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT DOWNSTATE

    Republicans

    After Sanders’ announcement Wednesday morning, those connected with the Republican Party re-upped their messaging that there isn’t really much distance between Sanders and Biden on actual policy — just the way that they present themselves.

    “Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are two sides of the same radical socialist coin,” said Steve Guest, the rapid response director for the RNC. “While Bernie may not be the one pushing the Democrat Party further to the left as the presumptive nominee, Biden is more than happy to lead that socialist charge.”

    Others took to gloating over Sanders’ misfortune.

    Others questioned why Sanders didn’t drop out before the Wisconsin primary election that took place in the middle of a pandemic on Tuesday — although there was a general election for a state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin on Tuesday as well.

    JOE BIDEN WOOS BERNIE SANDERS’ SUPPORTERS AFTER CAMPAIGN SUSPENSION: ‘YOU’RE NEEDED’

    Diehard Sanders supporters

    Shaun King, one of Sanders’ most loyal backers, warned Biden “and his campaign, staff, and supporters” that “[v]otes are EARNED,” in what was apparently a shot across moderate Democrats’ bow that they should not forget about the party’s left-wing base.

    Linda Sarsour, a Sanders surrogate who has gotten into trouble for allegations of antisemitism in the past, said that Sanders supporters are working toward a “more equitable world” and will not give up their fight.

    Nina Turner, the national co-chair of the Sanders campaign, thanked the “#Bernie2020 Campaign Family” and said “It continues [to be] my great honor to be a leader in our movement.”

    Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who endorsed Sanders, tweeted a long thread, saying that “our movement faces a setback.” She went on, without naming Biden, to encourage Sanders supporters to vote for the former vice president.

    “For those of you who plan to sit this election out or vote for Trump, just stop. The livelihoods of millions of marginalized people are at stake,” she said. “We must all fight like hell to get Donald Trump out of the White House and end the rise of fascism in this country.”

    WHO DIRECTOR HITS BACK AT TRUMP THREAT TO DEFUND AGENCY

    Trump

    Trump fired off three tweets on Wednesday in the immediate aftermath of news breaking about Sanders leaving the presidential race.

    In his first tweet, he blamed Elizabeth Warren and the DNC for Sanders’ downfall, comparing the 2020 primary to the 2016 primary that Trump has often said was “rigged” against Sanders.

    Next, Trump expressed confusion about Sanders’ desire to accrue more pledged delegates in the later presidential primary races — a strategy Sanders will likely use to maximize his influence at the Democratic National Convention later this year, particularly over the drafting of the party’s platform.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Finally, Trump expressed doubt that “AOC plus 3” — meaning Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Omar — would support Biden in the general election.

    Omar immediately tweeted that she would support Biden. The other three representatives Trump referenced, who are members of what is more commonly known as “The Squad,” have never given any indication they would not support the eventual Democratic presidential nominee.

    Liberal Dem senator backs Biden, despite prior vow to stay out of primary

    Ohio’s top elected Democratic politician changed his mind.

    On the day after Super Tuesday – as most of the remaining Democratic presidential contenders were dropping out of the race and backing a surging Joe Biden – Sen. Sherrod Brown told reporters that he was planning to stay neutral in Ohio’s scheduled March 17 primary in what was shaping up to be a two-candidate race between Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

    BIDEN STILL WANTS SANDERS TO BE ‘PART OF THE JOURNEY’ IN THE 2020 CAMPAIGN

    Fast-forward a month and Brown – a progressive three-term senator who flirted with his own White House bid early last year – is ending his neutrality and is backing the former vice president.

    “Joe Biden has dedicated his life to serving our country, and has never forgotten whom he fights for: the millions of Americans who are working hard, but feel like they can’t earn their way to a better life, no matter how hard they work,” said Brown, a populist politician who’s long looked out for the working class.

    Pointing to an economy crumbling due to the coronavirus pandemic that has forced most Americans to stay in their homes, Brown emphasized, “As we face both a public health crisis and an economy in turmoil, we need a steady hand more than ever. Joe Biden has the experience, the tenacity, and the empathy to lead in a crisis, and the hope to bring us together, and steer us toward brighter days ahead.”

    Plenty’s changed in the Democratic race since Brown said he planned to not endorse a candidate in the presidential primary. Biden’s sweeping victories in major primaries on March 10 and 17 boosted his lead over Sanders to more than 300 convention delegates, cementing his role as the all-but-certain Democratic nominee. Biden also enjoyed a tidal wave of endorsements from leading Democratic members of Congress, governors, and pro-Democratic organizations and much of the party coalesced around his White House bid.

    THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    But Sanders has stayed in the race, saying he still has a “narrow path” to win the nomination.

    Brown’s backing of Biden is timely, coming as voting is ongoing in Ohio’s presidential primary. The state’s in-person voting – which was scheduled for March 17 – was scrapped at the last minute due to coronavirus health concerns.

    Under a bill passed by the state’s legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine, postcards are being sent to every registered voter to explain how they can obtain a vote-by-mail application. Ballots must be postmarked by April 27 to be counted. The state will allow an extremely limited group of people – mostly disabled voters – to cast a ballot in person on April 28.

    The most recent public opinion polling in Ohio, conducted in the days before the originally scheduled March 17 primary, indicated Biden with large double-digit leads over Sanders.

    Biden wants Sanders to be ‘part of the journey’ in 2020 campaign

    Joe Biden floats idea of virtual Democratic National Convention amid COVID-19 crisis

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    Former Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview televised Tuesday that November’s general election “cannot” be delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    And the all-but-certain Democratic presidential nominee insisted in an interview on NBC’s “Today” show that he also wants primary rival Sen. Bernie Sanders “to be part of the journey” going forward — just not as his running mate.

    BIDEN MAKES PUSH FOR EXPANDING VOTING BY MAIL

    With the coronavirus outbreak forcing social distancing and keeping most Americans in their homes in hopes of preventing a spread of the virus, the Democratic presidential nomination calendar has been upended, with many states delaying their remaining contests or transforming them entirely to voting by mail and absentee balloting.

    “I’d much prefer to have on — you know, in-person voting, but it depends. It depends on the state of play,” Biden stressed. “But we cannot, we cannot delay or postpone a constitutionally required November election.”

    Biden said that now’s the time to start looking into what it “would it would take to have voting by mail.”

    Last week, the former vice president, in an interview with MSNBC, predicted “there’s going to be a great deal more absentee balloting” or voting by mail.

    The $2 trillion economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump – which aims to help workers, small businesses, and large companies devastated by the shut-down of much of the nation’s economy due to the pandemic, as well as provide aid to hospitals on the front lines in the crisis – also included $400 million to help states move toward mail-in voting.

    THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    Senate Democrats had pushed for $2 billion in election funding, with House Democrats angling for double that amount. Congressional Democrats say they’ll work to increase funding in the next stimulus package.

    But the push for increased voting by mail and absentee balloting faces fierce opposition by President Trump and Republicans.

    While the president has said the general election will go forward, he stressed recently that he opposes voting by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic because “I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting.”

    The charge by Trump was his latest disputed claim regarding voter fraud, which he argues kept him from winning the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election.

    “It shouldn’t be mail-in voting,” Trump added. “It should be: you go to a booth and you proudly display yourself. You don’t send it in the mail where people can pick up — all sorts of bad things can happen … by the time it gets in and is tabulated.”

    RNC CHAIR RAISES VOTER FRAUD CONCERNS IN OPPOSITION TO EXPANDING ABSENTEE BALLOTING

    And Republican National Committee chair Ronna Romney McDaniel – in an opinion piece Monday on FoxNews.com – claimed that “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and former Vice President Joe Biden say we must throw election integrity to the wayside in favor of an all-mail election, fundamentally changing how Americans vote in eight months. The overhaul would vastly expand opportunities for fraud and weaken confidence in our elections, but all Washington Democrats see is a potential benefit for their party.”

    The broader partisan fight over voting by mail comes as Wisconsin’s conservative-dominated Supreme Court squashed a primary eve move by the state’s Democratic governor to delay in-person voting in Tuesday’s primary amid health concerns due to the pandemic. And the Republican-nominated justices on U.S. Supreme Court won out over the Democratic-nominated justices in a 5-4 ruling, preventing a one-week extension of voting by mail in Wisconsin’s primary.

    PRIMARY UNDERWAY IN WISCONSIN AFTER BITTER PARTISAN BATTLE TO DELAY ELECTION

    Among the races on the ballot in Wisconsin: the Democratic presidential primary between Biden and his last remaining rival, Sen. Sanders.

    A pre-primary public opinion poll indicated the former vice president with a nearly two-to-one lead over the populist senator from Vermont. The chorus of calls for Sanders to end his White House bid and back Biden will only grow louder if Sanders suffers another defeat in Wisconsin – a state that the senator easily won over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary.

    In his quest to unite the Democratic Party as he prepares to challenge Trump in the general election, Biden’s looking to win the backing of Sanders and his legions of younger and progressive supporters.

    “Bernie has an incredible following,” Biden said in the interview. “Bernie is one of probably a half a dozen people in American history who may not be the nominee, but has had an impact on American politics in a significant way, in a positive way.”

    And Biden pledged that “if I’m the nominee, I can tell you one thing. I would very much want Bernie to be part of the journey, not as a vice presidential nominee, but just engaging in all the things that he’s worked so hard to do, many of which I agree.”

    Wisconsin primary polls open, long lines form amid concerns about coronavirus exposure

    Polls are open and long lines have already formed in urban areas in Wisconsin as the state becomes the first in the nation to hold in-person primary voting during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Voting got underway on Tuesday, hours after a fierce political battle between state Republican leaders and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who twice attempted to postpone in-person voting and extend the ability to cast ballots by mail.

    The governor’s Monday executive order – following an urgent warning by mayors from Wisconsin’s largest cities that “hundreds of thousands of citizens at risk by requiring them to vote at the polls while this ugly pandemic spreads” – drew instant pushback from the GOP-controlled state legislature and was overturned on the eve of the primary by the Republican-dominated state Supreme Court.

    TRUMP MAKES LAST MINUTE PUSH FOR GOP SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ON BALLOT IN WISCONSIN PRIMARY

    The partisan fight over the election – which is an initial skirmish for a brewing larger national showdown over voting rights – extended all the way to Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday night struck down a federal district court’s ruling allowing a weeklong extension to return absentee ballots. The ruling by the high court broke along ideological lines, with the five judges appointed by Republicans winning out over the four appointed by Democrats.

    With the state under a stay-at-home order, thousands of poll workers indicated they wouldn’t show up on Tuesday, forcing many cities and towns to cut the number of polling stations. Milwaukee was down to just five polling sites from the original 180. Lines could be long in many of the state’s cities, which will make social distancing extremely difficult to maintain.

    Reporters at polling locations in urban and suburban areas tweeted pictures of long lines forming as voting got underway.

    The National Guard stepped in to provide some assistance, distributing hand sanitizer and other supplies to polling stations across the state.

    The state’s elections commission urged voters to “keep your face-to-face interactions brief with both poll workers and other voters.  We want to limit the risk for everyone in the process on Election Day.” And the elections commission noted that “curbside voting options are available” for those who are ill and need to vote.

    “Because of poll worker shortages, your polling place may have changed due to consolidation,” warned the elections commission, which urged voters to check the state elections website before heading out to vote.

    THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    The top two Republicans in the state – House Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald – emphasized Monday night that “the safety and health of our citizens have always been our highest concern.”

    They added that “citizens should be able to exercise their right to vote at the polls on Election Day, should they choose to do so.”

    But Democratic Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes, firing back Tuesday, tweeted “Good morning and welcome to the Shit Show! Today’s episode has been produced by the Supreme Court and directed by the incomparable Speaker and Senate Majority leader duo.”

    On the ballot in Tuesday’s election – the Democratic presidential primary between clear front-runner Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

    Biden has held the clear lead going into the contest. The chorus of calls for Sanders to end his White House bid and back Biden will only grow louder if Sanders suffers another defeat in Wisconsin – a state that the senator easily won over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary.

    Sanders had repeatedly urged that the primary be delayed due to health concerns.

    “Let’s be clear: holding this election amid the coronavirus outbreak is dangerous, disregards the guidance of public health experts, and may very well prove deadly. For that reason, our campaign will not be engaged in any traditional GOTV efforts,” he tweeted Monday night.

    Biden’s declined to take a stand and instead has deferred to Wisconsin officials. Last week he told reporters “I think you could hold the election as well dealing with mail-in ballots and same-day registration.”

    “I think it’s possible to do both, to have both more mail-in ballots” he added. “I think it could be done … but that’s for them to decide.”

    There’s a lot more at stake on Tuesday’s ballot for Wisconsin voters than just the presidential primary contest. There’s an important battle for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat that could influence general election voting rules in the crucial presidential battleground state that President Trump narrowly carried four years ago, helping him win the White House.

    Trump weighed in on the controversial primary, noting the state Supreme Court’s decision and urging voters to support the incumbent justice who’s up for re-election – and who sat out Monday’s ruling by the state’s highest court.

    Also on the ballot on Tuesday are mayoral general elections in numerous municipalities including Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.

    Wisconsin residents have been urged for weeks to vote by absentee ballot, which led to a tidal wave of demand for vote-by-mail ballots. Election officials reported on Sunday that they received 1,268,587 absentee requests and that 1,256,474 absentee ballots had been sent to voters. They reported that 703,048 ballots had been returned.

    Election workers and voters keep a distance from each other during the state’s presidential primary election Tuesday, April 7, 2020 outside the Madison Municipal Building in Madison, Wis. Voters across the state are ignoring a stay-at-home order in the midst of a pandemic to participate in the state’s presidential primary election. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

    But thousands of people who requested ballots but will not receive them in time for their ballots to be returned by Tuesday night. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the federal district court judge exceeded his authority last week when he allowed for absentee ballots to be counted through April 13 means that people still waiting for absentee ballots will be forced to choose between voting in person or skipping the election.

    One thing that is delayed — the results. The Supreme Court let stand federal district court Judge William Conley’s order that results wouldn’t be counted for another week.

    Trump makes last-minute push for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice as state holds election during pandemic

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    After two last-minute legal challenges, Wisconsin voters will head to the polls in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday for an election in which President Trump has come out with a strong endorsement — not in the Democratic presidential primary most Americans are aware of, but for incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly.

    Back-to-back Monday rulings by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court against Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ efforts to postpone the in-person voting day and extending the absentee ballot deadline locked in the Badger State’s election for Tuesday.

    This effectively forces voters who have not yet received absentee ballots to trek to the polls in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic in order to cast their ballots.

    As the drama unfolded Monday, Trump re-upped his initial Friday of endorsement of Kelly, whom the president called “tough on crime” and said is doing a “terrific job” protecting the Second Amendment. Kelly recused himself from the Monday decision forcing the election to go forward.

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    “The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that tomorrow’s election will proceed as scheduled,” Trump tweeted Monday evening. “VOTE for Justice Daniel Kelly tomorrow, and be safe!”

    Just after midnight, Trump tweeted again in support of the conservative justice who was first appointed to his seat by former Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker in 2016 and is currently facing his first reelection. Kelly is facing a challenge from the more liberal Jill Karofsky in a nonpartisan general election.

    “Vote today, Tuesday, for highly respected Republican, Justice Daniel Kelly,” Trump said. “Tough on Crime, loves your Military, Vets, Farmers, & will save your 2nd Amendment. A BIG VOTE!”

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    Trump’s plea for voters to turn out in favor of Kelly comes as Sanders and Biden have stopped advertising in the state and are running primarily virtual campaigns as they practice social distancing in the middle of what Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force warned could be one of the most dangerous weeks of the pandemic in the U.S.

    Biden, who leads Sanders in the polls in Wisconsin and has a commanding lead in overall delegates, did not even mention the word Wisconsin in his Monday “Here’s the Deal” podcast. Sanders has also largely avoided talking about the Wisconsin primary, but on Tuesday reiterated that his campaign would not be sending staffers or volunteers to try to bring people to the polls.

    “It’s outrageous that the Republican legislative leaders and the conservative majority on the Supreme Court in Wisconsin are willing to risk the health and safety of many thousands of Wisconsin voters tomorrow for their own political gain,” Sanders tweeted.

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    “Let’s be clear,” he continued, “holding this election amid the coronavirus outbreak is dangerous, disregards the guidance of public health experts, and may very well prove deadly. For that reason, our campaign will not be engaged in any traditional GOTV efforts.”

    Wisconsin, unlike other states, does not give unilateral authority to the state’s governor or secretary of state – or the two working in conjunction – to move an election. This forced Evers, a Democrat, to appeal to the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to pass a bill moving the election date or changing how it would work. The legislature refused to do that, so Evers issued an order suspending in-person voting until June 9, which was promptly struck down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

    The U.S. Supreme Court, in a separate Monday ruling, struck down a federal district court ruling that would have allowed Wisconsin voters to cast absentee ballots after the April 7 election day. The ruling was split 5-4 along ideological lines, with the majority saying that it was staying consistent with precedent preventing federal courts from changing the rules of elections on the eve of election day.

    Those two rulings taken together force Wisconsin to hold its Tuesday election in-person and take away the option of voting absentee for Wisconsinites who have not yet requested and received an absentee ballot in the mail.

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    Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wilker said Monday that the Supreme Court ruling would lead to voters dying.

    “The Supreme Court of the United States legislated from the bench today, following Trump team’s orders and writing a new election law to disenfranchise untold thousands of Wisconsin voters and consign an unknown number of Wisconsinites to their deaths,” Wilker said, though the Supreme Court majority want out of its way to emphasize that it was reversing a lower-court decision that amounted to legislating from the bench.

    Kelly, ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision urged “clerks, poll workers, and voters to stand ready to conduct the election tomorrow.

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    “We can do two things at the same time,” he said, “maintain the foundations of our democracy while taking reasonable precautions to keep people safe.”

    Karofsky encouraged voters to head to the polls if they feel safe doing so while also maintaining caution.

    “If you feel safe going to your polling place, in-person voting begins at 7:00 AM Tuesday,” she said. “Many polling places have changed, visit http://myvote.wi.gov to confirm yours. Please take precautions when you’re in public, it’s up to you whether you feel safe voting in-person.”

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    In a video posted to Twitter, Karofsky reiterated that voters should ensure they mail or drop off their absentee ballots on Tuesday and that they should double-check what their in-person polling place is due to changes that have been made thanks to a lack of poll workers wanting to help run the election in the middle of a pandemic.

    The Wisconsin Elections Commission posted information on what voters should know in advance of the Tuesday election. It emphasized that voters should wash their hands before and after voting, that hand sanitizer would be available at most polls and that voters should maintain social distancing — including by taking advantage of curbside voting.

    “Local election officials are prepared for Election Day with sanitation supplies and have been trained on social distancing procedures and other guidance developed with a public health official,” Meagan Wolfe, the state’s chief elections official said. “Now, we’re asking voters to be careful and patient if they go to the polls on Tuesday.”

    Wisconsin governor, on primary eve, moves to suspend in-person voting over coronavirus fears

    Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Monday abruptly suspended in-person voting for the state’s scheduled Tuesday primary, setting up a new clash with the state’s GOP-controlled legislature.

    The governor’s last-minute, election-eve executive order also moves in-person voting for the April 7 contest to June 9 and directs state lawmakers to meet Tuesday in special session “to address the election date.” The order states that if the legislature doesn’t pass a bill moving the primary’s date, voting will occur on June 9.

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    Republican leaders instantly pushed back.

    “We are immediately challenging this executive order in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court,” tweeted Speaker Robin Vos.

    Evers’ move came as Wisconsin was attempting to do what no other state has tried to do – hold in-person voting at polling amid the coronavirus pandemic – as most Americans huddle in their homes to avoid the spread of the deadly COVID-19 disease caused by the virus.

    The governor took action one day after mayors of some of Wisconsin’s biggest cities pleaded for a delay in the election.

    In a letter to the state’s Department of Human Services, 10 mayors representing some 1.3 million residents warned that if in-person voting takes place on Tuesday, it would put “hundreds of thousands of citizens at risk by requiring them to vote at the polls while this ugly pandemic spreads.”

    Hours before the governor signed his executive order, the state’s elections commission put out a list of 10 things voters should know before heading to the polls.

    Among Monday’s guidance is a request to “keep your face-to-face interactions brief with both poll workers and other voters.  We want to limit the risk for everyone in the process on Election Day.” And the elections commission noted that “curbside voting options are available” for those who are ill and need to vote.

    With the state under a stay-at-home order, thousands of poll workers have indicated they wouldn’t be showing up on Tuesday, forcing many cities and towns to cut the number of polling stations. Milwaukee was down to just five polling sites from the original 180.

    “Because of poll worker shortages, your polling place may have changed due to consolidation,” warned the elections commission, which urged voters to check the state elections website before heading out to vote.

    The National Guard stepped in to provide some assistance, distributing hand sanitizer and other supplies to polling states across the state.

    The governor’s primary-eve move came three days after he called for a special session of his state’s legislature to overhaul the Tuesday primary — by allowing for an all-mail election, sending absentee ballots to every registered voter and pushing the deadline back until May 26 for ballots to be returned.

    The request by Evers – who’s repeatedly highlighted that he doesn’t have the unilateral power to change the date of the election – was brushed aside by the Republican-controlled legislature. GOP leaders said the governor’s move came too late and that they had “grave concerns about election security” by allowing absentee ballots to be submitted beyond election day.

    On Monday, GOP leaders noted, in challenging the latest order, that the governor has said he can’t move the election on his own.

    While the Democratic governor and GOP state lawmakers remained at odds, there was a separate court battle that could impact the contest. Last week the Democratic National Committee, state Democrats, and several voter advocacy groups filed federal lawsuits seeking a delay in the primary. A federal district judge declined to postpone the primary’s date, but did allow for absentee ballots to be counted through April 13, one week after the scheduled date of the contest.

    State Republican legislative leaders on Saturday joined the Wisconsin Republican Party and the Republican National Committee in appealing the ruling – which was mostly upheld by a federal appeals court judge – to the Supreme Court.

    Democrats urged the Supreme Court to deny the GOP push to mandate that all absentee ballots be returned by Tuesday night, arguing that tens of thousands of voters wouldn’t even receive their ballots by primary day.

    The case is now in front of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who could grant or deny the stay, or push the case the entire high court.

    Residents have been urged for weeks to vote by absentee ballot, which already has led to a tidal wave of demand for vote-by-mail ballots. Election officials reported on Sunday that they received 1,268,587 absentee requests and that 1,256,474 absentee ballots had been sent to voters. They reported that 703,048 ballots had been returned.

    Eighty-four Democratic nomination convention delegates are up for grabs in Tuesday’s presidential primary between clear front-runner Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

    But there’s a lot more at stake on Tuesday’s ballot for Wisconsin voters than just the presidential primary contest. There’s an important battle for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat that could influence general election voting rules in the crucial presidential battleground state, as well as numerous mayoral contests including in Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.

    Sanders called for postponing the primary.

    “People should not be forced to put their lives on the line to vote, which is why 15 states are now following the advice of public health experts and delaying their elections. We urge Wisconsin to join them,” the senator said in a statement on Wednesday.

    While deferring to Wisconsin officials and declining to take a stance, Biden on Thursday said: “I think you could hold the election as well dealing with mail-in ballots and same-day registration.”

    “I think it’s possible to do both, to have both more mail-in ballots” he added. “I think it could be done … but that’s for them to decide.”

    On March 17, Florida, Illinois and Arizona were the last states to hold presidential primaries. Since then, 15 states and Puerto Rico – which were scheduled to hold their primaries and caucuses in late March, April or May –  postponed their contests or switched them to nearly entirely by mail or absentee ballot.

    Fox News’ Jennifer Girdon and Kelly Phares contributed to this report