Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
If Coronavirus Outbreak Isn't Curbed By Fall, What Happens With Presidential Election?
ProPublica: Elections May Have To Change During The Coronavirus Outbreak. Here’s How.
As the novel coronavirus spreads through the U.S. during presidential primaries, election and government officials are scrambling to figure out how to allow voters to cast their ballots safely ― or postpone primaries altogether. Managing in-person voting during an unprecedented pandemic has forced authorities to overcome new virus-related hurdles: providing sufficient cleaning supplies to polling places, moving polling places out of nursing homes and ensuring there are enough poll workers. There’s also a huge open question: If the virus continues to infect large numbers of people, how can the general election take place safely this fall? (Glickhouse, 3/19)
NPR: 'No Plans' To Change Republican, Democratic Conventions For Now
This summer's Republican and Democratic conventions are still on, and organizers have no plans to change them at this point, despite fears of prolonged closings and disruptions to American life due to the novel coronavirus, officials from both parties said. (Montanaro, 3/19)
Politico: Everything To Know About States Moving And Changing Their Primaries Over Coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown America’s electoral system into shock, prompting officials in six states so far to move presidential primaries as the federal government urges people not to gather in large groups. Connecticut became the latest state to push back its vote on Thursday, and even more states are considering delays. Meanwhile, election officials are also gaming out the changes they can make to voting systems to allow Americans to participate in elections while keeping themselves safe and preventing the spread of the virus. (Montellaro, 3/20)
The Hill: Nationwide Changes Needed To Make Election Coronavirus-Ready Could Cost $2 Billion: Study
Costs for the federal government to make it safe for voters to participate in the general election could add up to $2 billion, should the coronavirus still be a concern in November, a new study by an independent think tank shows. The study, which was conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice, outlines several sweeping nationwide changes to the current voting system such as universal mail-in voting, easier online voter registration and more. (Johnson, 3/19)
Politico: Coronavirus Shock Slams Campaign Fundraising
Coronavirus is starting to drain money from the expensive world of political campaigning. Campaigns across the country have canceled face-to-face fundraisers for the foreseeable future and are scrambling to figure out how to raise enough money to stay solvent. Big donors' stock portfolios are tanking. And small-dollar, online contributors — who have never been more important to campaigns — are facing sudden financial uncertainty and the real possibility of unemployment. (Severns and Arkin, 3/20)
The Washington Post: The Inside Story Of The CPAC Scare: When The Coronavirus Passed Within A Handshake Of The President, No Public Health Agency Took Charge
In the crucial days after the D.C.-area event in late February, public health officials decided to monitor only an infected man’s family members, leaving conference organizers to take it upon themselves to identify and notify close to 100 attendees — including members of Congress — with whom he had particularly close contact. (Davis and Cox, 3/19)
The Associated Press: Joe Biden, Nominee-In-Waiting, With A Long Wait
In the three weeks since his blowout win in the South Carolina primary, Joe Biden has emerged as the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting. But, amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, put the emphasis on waiting. Biden holds an essentially insurmountable delegate lead over his last remaining rival, Bernie Sanders, yet the Vermont senator remains in the race. (Barrow, Jaffe and Weissert, 3/20)
