Impact2020: May 12, 2020
Welcome to your Impact2020 briefing for Tuesday, May 12. Elections are happening today in California, Nebraska and Wisconsin, Democrats seek greater convention flexibility, and how one group is adjusting their battleground state campaign tactics amid the pandemic.
On the Ground
On the ballot
It’s Election Day in California, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Today is the deadline to submit ballots in California’s 25th congressional district, where Democrat Christy Smith and Republican Mike Garcia are facing off.
Since the election is being conducted mostly by mail, we won’t know the results for a few days. There are also nine centers open for voters to drop off their ballots in person across the district, which sits north of Los Angeles.
Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP
Democrats are bracing for a loss here, but the winner will only serve out the remainder of former Rep. Katie Hill’s term, so Smith and Garcia will be back on the ballot in November. Josh Haskell of KABC-TV has more on the election here.
In Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district, located in the northwest part of the state, Republican Tom Tiffany and Democrat Tricia Zunker are vying to finish out former Rep. Sean Duffy’s term. The seat is expected to stay in GOP control.
WQOW’s McKenna Alexander reports that nearly 111,000 absentee ballots were requested, but that polling places will be open for in-person voting.
And Nebraska’s statewide and local primaries will take place with a few changes to in-person voting. Aaron Sanderford reports for the Omaha World-Herald that masks will be available, and that voters are being encouraged to wash their hands and stay six feet apart from each other.
“Secretary of State Bob Evnen said voters should not expect long lines, because more than three-fourths of regular primary voters in Nebraska have requested ballots by mail.”
Being flexible
The Democratic National Committee’s Rules & Bylaws Committee will debate a resolution tonight to give the team in charge of the party’s national convention in Milwaukee the authority to change the format, size and dates, Bill Glauber reports for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The goal of the resolution is to provide flexibility for the organizers who have already pushed back the convention by a month amid the coronavirus pandemic. Originally, 50,000 people were expected to travel to Milwaukee for the event.
The current resolution “doesn’t guarantee a so-called virtual convention but could bring in virtual elements, allowing delegates to attend remotely,” Glauber writes. It calls for delegates “to participate in the convention in person or by means that allow for appropriate social distancing.”
“The resolution must be approved by a majority of members of the Rules & Bylaws Committee. It will then be voted on by mail by the roughly 447 members of the full DNC.”
Crowdsourcing attack ads
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 outbreak is continuing to alter how political candidates and groups approach campaigning this election year. One Democratic super PAC is shifting from field programs and neighborhood canvassing to asking battleground state voters to record and submit their own videos.
McClatchy’s Alex Roarty reports that American Bridge “pairs a web portal that allows voters to upload videotaped testimonials detailing their opposition to” President Donald Trump “with an email and text message campaign urging residents of the key swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to access the site.”
American Bridge president Bradley Beychok “said the program would seek out mostly white working-class voters who are former Trump supporters, frontline health care responders, and small-business owners.”
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Trail Mix
Election disruption
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Lai and Julia Terruso report that Philadelphia elections officials are asking for permission to reduce the polling places for the June 2 primary by more than 60% or to deploy the National Guard.
“A Missouri House committee signed off … on legislation aimed at repealing voter-approved redistricting, despite warnings from the committee chairman that the GOP plan will likely be soundly rejected by voters,” the Kansas City Star’s Jason Hancock reports.
Battle for Congress
A leaked call in which Barack Obama calls the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic “an absolute chaotic disaster,” set off Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said the former president “should have kept his mouth shut.” Lexington Herald-Leader’s Jeremy Chisenhall has the full story.
Governor watch
James Brooks of the Anchorage Daily News reports Alaska’s Supreme Court ruled that an effort to remove Gov. Mike Dunleavy from office can proceed.
The governors of California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada are joining forces to ask Congress for $1 trillion in help for states dealing with recession caused by coronavirus, the Sacramento Bee’s Andrew Sheeler reports.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf denounced counties that are reopening without his approval, calling them “cowardly” and “selfish,” Cynthia Fernandez reports for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Number of the Day
36%
That’s how many Americans who say they consider Trump a trusted source of information about the outbreak, according to a new national CNN poll.
For planning purposes
May 12
Nebraska primary
Special elections in California’s 25th district and Wisconsin’s 7th district
Jill Biden holds virtual events in Pennsylvania
May 19
Idaho and Oregon primaries
May 22
Hawaii primary
“I’m very far away from everyone”
Trump responds to McClatchy’s Francesca Chambers about the requirement of face masks for White House staff in this clip.
More for you
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This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 12:39 PM.