Indiana political leaders weigh postponing state primary

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's political leaders on Friday are expected to announce whether they've decided to postpone the state's May 5 primary because of the risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb scheduled a late-morning news conference at the Statehouse with the state GOP and Democratic chairmen.

Holcomb said Thursday that he supported delaying the primary because he was concerned about the safety of county elections officials, polling site workers and voters. He said Republican Secretary of State Connie Lawson was leading discussions with state political party leaders.

'œI'll support, ultimately, the decision to delay our primary election,'ť Holcomb said Thursday. 'œ... We're trying to build consensus here. That's the best outcome for something as important as an election.'ť

Ohio and Kentucky are among at least seven states that have delayed their primaries, and others are considering increased voting by mail.

Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody and Republican Chairman Kyle Hupfer wrote a joint letter to the state elections commission last week asking for it to relax the rules for requesting mail-in absentee ballots.

Indiana has no challenged races for statewide elected offices in its primary and it's uncertain whether the Democratic presidential race will remain undecided. Multiple candidates are seeking nominations for congressional seats being given up by Democratic Rep. Pete Visclosky and Republican Rep. Susan Brooks.

Health officials said Friday that Indiana had recorded 23 new positive cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That brought the state's overall total to 79, including two patients who died.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.