Democrats postpone convention

So far, 15 states have delayed their primaries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And now the Democratic National Committee is bumping its presidential convention from mid-July to the week of Aug. 17. Party rules penalize states that hold primaries after June 9 by halving their delegate count. But most states rescheduled their votes to just before the cutoff. New York, however, pushed its primary back until June 23.

How does the delay affect the presidential campaign? It will take longer for either candidate to consolidate support or access DNC financial backing earmarked for November’s general election. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., expressed support for the postponement. Both parties still hope to hold in-person conventions. Republicans plan to gather in Charlotte, N.C., the week after the Democratic convention.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report in The Stew about how the presidential candidates have responded to the pandemic.