Countries with at least one election date altered
The COVID-19 pandemic
affected the political systems of multiple countries causing
suspensions of legislative activities, isolation or deaths of multiple
politicians, and rescheduling of elections due to fears of spreading the
virus.
General impacts
Leader popularity
There is evidence that the pandemic has caused a rally-round-the-flag effect in many countries, with government approval ratings rising in Italy (+27 percentage points), Germany (+11), France (+11), and the United Kingdom. In the United States, President Donald Trump has seen a 6-point drop in approval, while state governors have seen increases as high as 55 points for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 31 points for North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, and 30 points for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
States of emergency
At least 84 countries have declared a state of emergency in response to the pandemic, leading to fears about misuse of power. Reporters Without Borders has claimed that 38 countries have restricted freedom of the press as a result.
Other examples include banning mass protests, postponing elections or
holding them while the opposition cannot effectively campaign,
selectively enforcing lockdown rules on political opponents, handing out
relief payments to political supporters, or scapegoating minorities. Many countries have also unveiled large-scale surveillance programs for contact tracing, leading to worries about their impact on privacy.
Impact on international relations
European Union
The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
stated that "If we don't propose now a unified, powerful and effective
response to this economic crisis, not only the impact will be tougher,
but its effects will last longer and we will be putting at risk the
entire European project", while the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte commented that "the whole European project risks losing its raison d'être in the eyes of our own citizens". From 4 to 19 March, Germany banned the export of personal protective equipment, and France also restricted exports of medical equipment, drawing criticism from EU officials who called for solidarity. Many Schengen Area countries closed their borders to stem the spread of the virus.
Jointly issued debt
Debates over how to respond to the epidemic and its economic fallout have opened up a rift between Northern and Southern European member states, reminiscent of debates over the 2010s European debt crisis. Nine EU countries—Italy, France, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Luxembourg—called for "corona bonds" (a type of eurobond)
in order to help their countries to recover from the epidemic, on 25
March. Their letter stated, "The case for such a common instrument is
strong, since we are all facing a symmetric external shock."
Northern European countries such as Germany, Austria, Finland, and the
Netherlands oppose the issuing of joint debt, fearing that they would
have to pay it back in the event of a default. Instead, they propose
that countries should apply for loans from the European Stability Mechanism. Corona bonds were discussed on 26 March 2020 in a European Council
meeting, which dragged out for three hours longer than expected due to
the "emotional" reactions of the prime ministers of Spain and Italy. European Council President Charles Michel and European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde have urged the EU to consider issuing joint debt. Unlike the European debt crisis—partly
caused by the affected countries—southern European countries did not
cause the coronavirus pandemic, therefore eliminating the appeal to
national responsibility.
Civil liberties
Sixteen
member nations of the European Union issued a statement warning that
certain emergency measures issued by countries during the coronavirus
pandemic could undermine the principles of rule of law and democracy on 1
April. They announced that they "support the European Commission
initiative to monitor the emergency measures and their application to
ensure the fundamental values of the Union are upheld." The statement does not mention Hungary, but observers believe that it implicitly refers to a Hungarian law granting plenary power to the Hungarian Government during the coronavirus pandemic. The following day, the Hungarian Government joined the statement.
The Hungarian parliament
passed the law granting plenary power to the Government by qualified
majority, 137 to 53 votes in favor, on 30 March 2020. After promulgating
the law, the President of Hungary, János Áder,
announced that he had concluded that the time frame of the Government's
authorization would be definite and its scope would be limited. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission,
stated that she was concerned about the Hungarian emergency measures
and that it should be limited to what is necessary and Minister of State
Michael Roth suggested that economic sanctions should be used against Hungary.
The heads of thirteen member parties of the European People's Party (EPP) made a proposal to expunge the Hungarian Fidesz
for the new legislation on 2 April. In response, Viktor Orbán expressed
his willingness to discuss any issues relating to Fidesz's membership
"once the pandemic is over" in a letter addressed to the Secretary
General of EPP Antonio López-Istúriz White.
Referring to the thirteen leading politicians' proposal, Orbán also
stated that "I can hardly imagine that any of us having time for
fantasies about the intentions of other countries. This seems to be a
costly luxury these days."
During a video conference of the foreign ministers of the European
Union member states on 3 April 2020, Hungarian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Péter Szijjártó,
asked for the other ministers to read the legislation itself not its
politically motivated presentations in newspapers before commenting on
it.
Japan–South Korea relations
Japan–South Korea relations worsened as a result of the pandemic. After Japan declared it would start quarantining all arrivals from South Korea,
the South Korean government described the move as "unreasonable,
excessive and extremely regrettable", and that it couldn't "help but
question whether Japan has other motives than containing the outbreak". Some South Korean media have offered opinions to improve relations with Japan through mask assistance to Japan.
In addition, some local governments in Japan who did not disclose their
names have also announced their intention to purchase masks in Korea.
When this fact became known, some online commentators in Japan
expressed that they would never receive a mask even if it came from
Korea, as it would not be free, as it would be a public pressure for
concede of the Japanese government if South Korea gave masks to Japan.
However, the Korean government has never reviewed the support of masks
to Japan, and expressed that it would only proceed with the formally
disclosed request of the Japanese government for supply support such as
facial mask, following the public opinion of the Korean people.
On the contrary, inside Japan, an editorial was published stating that
the Korean government should donate medical supplies like face mask
covertly and the Japanese government should accept it casually.
Mainland China
The Chinese government has been criticised by the United States for its handling of the pandemic, which began in the Chinese province of Hubei. In Brazil, the Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of President Jair Bolsonaro,
caused a diplomatic dispute with China when he retweeted a message
saying: "The blame for the global coronavirus pandemic has a name and
surname: the Chinese Communist party."
Yang Wanming, China's top diplomat in Brazil, retweeted a message that
said: "The Bolsonaro family is the great poison of this country."
Some commentators believe the state propaganda in China is promoting a narrative that China's authoritarian system is uniquely capable of curbing the coronavirus and contrasts that with the chaotic response of the Western democracies. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that "China is aggressively pushing the message that, unlike the US, it is a responsible and reliable partner."
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has claimed that the United States military is behind the virus. When Australia suggested an international enquiry into the origins of the virus, the Chinese ambassador threatened with economic retaliation. The Chinese embassy to France
has in turn claimed that French nursing homes were ""abandoning their
posts overnight … and leaving their residents to die of hunger and
disease".
The Chinese government has also tried to directly influence statements
of other governments in order to show the country in a more positive
light, including in Germany, and Wisconsin.
China has sent aid to 82 countries, the World Health Organization, and the African Union, which is considered by some western media as to counter its negative image in the early stage of the pandemic. According to Yangyang Cheng, a postdoctoral research associate at Cornell University,
"The Chinese government has been trying to project Chinese state power
beyond its borders and establish China as a global leader, not
dissimilar to what the U.S. government has been doing for the better
part of a century, and the distribution of medical aid is part of this
mission."
Borrell warned that there is "a geo-political component including a
struggle for influence through spinning and the ‘politics of
generosity’."
United States
In
early March, European Union leaders condemned the United States'
decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States.
The U.S. has come under scrutiny by officials from other
countries for allegedly hijacking shipments of crucial supplies meant
for other countries.
Jean Rottner, the President of France's Regional council of Grand Est, accused the United States of disrupting face mask deliveries by buying at the last minute.
French officials stated that Americans came to the airport tarmac and
offered several times the French payment as the shipment was prepared
for departure to France. Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, asked Bill Blair, the Public Safety Minister, and Marc Garneau, the Transportation Minister, to investigate allegations that medical supplies originally intended for Canada were diverted to the United States. German politician Andreas Geisel
accused the United States of committing "modern piracy" after reports
that 200,000 N95 masks meant for German police were diverted during an
en-route transfer between airplanes in Thailand to the United States,
but later changed his statement after he clarified that the mask orders
were made through a German firm, not a U.S. firm as earlier stated, and
the supply chain issues were under review.
Due to shortages in coronavirus tests Maryland Governor Larry Hogan had his wife Yumi Hogan,
who was born in South Korea, to speak with the South Korean ambassador
and afterwards multiple South Korea companies stated that they would
send tests to Maryland.
On 2 April 2020, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950 to halt exports of masks produced by 3M to Canada and Latin America.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that it would be a mistake
for both their countries to limit trade of essential goods or services,
including medical supplies and professionals, and remarked that this
moves in both directions.
The Canadian government has turned to China and other places for
crucial medical supplies, while they seek a constructive discussion
about the issue with the Trump administration.
World Health Organization
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom,
claimed that he had been "severely discriminated against", and had
received death threats and racist insults, claiming that "This attack
came from Taiwan".
In response, the foreign ministry of Taiwan stated "strong
dissatisfaction and a high degree of regret" and that it would "condemn
all forms of discrimination and injustice".
On 7 April 2020, United States President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to the WHO, which he did.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría
wrote that “This is the third and greatest economic, financial and
social shock of the 21st century, and it demands a modern, global effort
akin to the last century’s Marshall Plan and New Deal – combined.”
COVID-19 has a strong regional and global impact, calling for
differentiated governance and policy responses from local to
international levels. A coordinated response by all levels of
government can minimize crisis-management failures.
Impact on national politics
Belgium
On 17 March 2020, Sophie Wilmès was sworn in as Prime Minister of Belgium. Seven opposition parties pledged to support the minority Wilmès II Government, in its previous composition, with plenary power to handle the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium.
Brazil
President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized for his handling of the crisis. He has referred to the pandemic as a "fantasy". According to one poll, 64% of Brazilians reject the way Bolsonaro has handled the pandemic, while 44.8% support his impeachment, an all-time high. During a speech by the president about the pandemic, many Brazilians participated in a panelaço protesting the president by banging pots and pans on balconies.
Canada
On 13 March 2020, the Parliament of Canada voted to suspend activity in both houses until 20 April for the House of Commons and 21 April for the Senate.
The House of Commons' Health and Finance committees were granted the
ability to hold weekly virtual meetings during the pandemic.
The leadership contests of the Conservative Party of Canada, Green Party of British Columbia, Quebec Liberal Party and Parti Québécois were postponed.
China
Multiple provincial-level administrators of the Communist Party of China
(CPC) were dismissed over their handling of the quarantine efforts in
central China. Some experts believe this is likely in a move to protect
Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping from people's anger over the coronavirus outbreak. Protests in Hong Kong strengthened due to fears of immigration from mainland China. Taiwan has also voiced concern over being included in any travel ban involving the People's Republic of China due to the "one-China policy" and Chinese claims. A few countries have been using the epidemic to build political bridges with Beijing, raising accusations that these countries, which include Cambodia among others, were putting politics before health. Existing tensions between the United States and China may have delayed a coordinated effort to combat the outbreak in Wuhan.
Outlets such as Politico, Foreign Policy, and Bloomberg
have reported that efforts from China to send aid to other countries
and claim without evidence that the virus originated in the United
States are a propaganda push for global influence while deflecting blame for its handling of the outbreak.
Hungary
The Hungarian Parliament gave the government plenary power which authorizes it to override acts and to rule by decree to the extent that is "necessary and proportional" in order to "prevent, manage, and eradicate the epidemic and to avoid and mitigate its effects".
The law prescribes that the government is to report back to the
parliament, or if it's unable to convene, to its speaker and the leaders
of the parliamentary groups, regularly about the measures it has taken. The law also suspends by-elections and referendums for the duration of the emergency. The Constitutional Court of Hungary is authorized to hold sessions via electronic communications networks.
The act also criminalizes "statements known to be false or statements
distorting true facts" with 1 to 5 years imprisonment "if done in a
manner capable of hindering or derailing the effectiveness of the
response effort". The opposition had demanded a 90-day sunset clause to the emergency powers in return for its support, but had its amendments voted down and therefore opposed the act.
Human Rights Watch
described the legislation, as an authoritarian takeover, due to the
rule of decree without parliamentary or judicial scrutiny and for
criminal penalties for the publishing of "false" or "distorted" facts,
and gave support to the European Commission using Article 7 against Hungary. Criticism and concern regarding the decree stemmed from existing backsliding of Hungarian democracy under the premiership of Viktor Orbán and his majority-ruling Fidesz party since Orbán began his second tenure as Prime Minister in 2010. Orbán has been accused by opposition leaders and other critics of his premiership of shifting Hungary towards authoritarianism by centralizing legislative and executive power through Constitutional reforms
passed in 2011 and 2013, curbing civil liberties, restricting freedom
of speech to the extent that some independent media outlets once
critical of his rule have since been acquired by allies of Orbán, and
weakening other institutional checks on Orbán's power
including the Constitutional Court and judiciary. Critics of the
Orbán/Fidesz government expressed concern that the emergency plenary
powers may not be rescinded once the pandemic subsides, and could be
abused to dubiously prosecute independent journalists critical of his
coronavirus response or his governance more broadly, and curtail other
freedoms of speech and expression. Some observers suggest that any
significant misuse of or, once the crisis subsides, failure to rescind
the plenary powers by Orbán government could place Hungary at great risk
of becoming the European Union's first dictatorship,
in violation of E.U. regulations. (Turkey's proposed E.U. membership
has been held up and advocates have urged the Union to terminate the
proposal, because of human rights violations under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.)[83][84][85][86] A petition against the legislation was signed by over 100,000 people. Péter Jakab, the president of the opposition party Jobbik,
said that the bill put Hungarian democracy in quarantine. Nézőpont, a
pro-government polling agency, conducted a poll that showed that 90% of
Hungarians supported extending emergency measures and 72% supported
strengthening the criminal code.
In response to news reports about the state of emergency being a danger to democracy, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó
called them "fake news and lies" and stated that the measures that
Hungary had adopted were not unprecedented in Europe. He specifically
stated that there were unfounded reports in mainstream media about the
government's unlimited authorization and the closing down of the
Parliament.
European Commission vice-president Věra Jourová after a thorough
examination confirmed that Hungary's recently-adopted emergency measures
do not break any EU rules yet.
Iran
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been heavily affected by the virus. The spread of the virus has raised questions about the future survival of the regime. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani
wrote a public letter to world leaders asking for help, saying that his
country doesn't have access to international markets due to the United States sanctions against Iran. On 3 March 2020, Iranian Parliament was shut down after having 23 of the 290 members of parliament reported to have had tested positive for the virus.
Israel
After facing political deadlock since the legislative election held on 9 April 2019, Israel held another election on 2 March 2020, between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. Gantz narrowly won the endorsement of a majority of members of the Knesset, and lessened his previous reluctance to cooperate with Netanyahu, stating his interest in forming a national unity government to tackle the coronavirus crisis. Later in the month, Netanyahu proposed a power sharing agreement in which he would step down in 2021.
On 28 March 2020, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov praised the Israel and Palestinian authorities for their coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Mladenov appreciated the response strategy, especially for focusing on Gaza, as the region faces a relatively substantial risk of the disease spreading. Since the start of the novel coronavirus crisis, Israel permitted the entry of significant medical and aid supplies inside Gaza.
Kosovo
On 18 March, Interior Minister Agim Veliu was sacked due to his support for declaring a state of emergency to handle the coronavirus pandemic which would have given power to the Kosovo Security Council chaired by Hashim Thaçi. The Democratic League of Kosovo,
the junior partner leader of the coalition, filed a no-confidence vote
motion in retaliation for the sacking and on 25 March eighty two members
of the Kosovo Assembly voted in favor of the motion.
Slovenia
On its 1st Session on 13 March 2020, immediately following its confirmation, the 13th Government set up an informal Crisis Management Staff (CMS) of the Republic of Slovenia in order to contain and manage the COVID-19 epidemic. Head of the Staff was Prime Minister Janez Janša and its secretary was former SOVA director Andrej Rupnik.
CMS was composed of all government members (prime minister and
ministers) and other experts and civil servants in an advisory capacity. Head of the Health Group was Bojana Beovič. Jelko Kacin, former minister and ambassador to NATO, was the official spokesman of the Staff, he had a similar role during the 1991 Slovenian war of independence.
Crisis Management Staff was abolished on 24 March 2020 after the
political transition was completed, its functions were transferred on
the responsible ministries. Health Experts Group was transferred under
the Ministry of Health. Kacin became the official government
spokesperson on the topic.
Government never proposed the declaration of emergency to the
National Assembly, which would suspend the Assembly's powers and
transfer them to the President of the Republic Borut Pahor
to rule by decrees with the force of law, which are still subject to
the National Assembly's approval once it gains its powers back. The
provision is only applicable if the National Assembly is unable to meet
in the session. Assembly however passed a Rules of Procedure Amendment to enable itself a "long-distance" session using technology.
South Korea
Diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea
worsened, as South Korea criticized Japan's "ambiguous and passive
quarantine efforts", after Japan announced anybody coming from South
Korea will be placed in two weeks’ quarantine at government-designated
sites.
Following the outbreak of the virus in South Korea over 1,450,000
people signed a petition supporting the impeachment of President Moon Jae-in due to him sending masks and medical supplies to China to aid them in their response to the virus outbreak.
Moon administration's continuing handling of the crisis has however
been noted in other sectors of the Korean society and internationally.
An opinion poll by Gallup Korea in March 2020 showed Moon's approval
rating rising by 5% to 49%.
In April 2020, Moon’s Democratic Party won a record landslide in the country’s legislative election for 21st session until 2024.
Spain
On 12 March 2020, the Congress of Deputies voted to suspend activity for a week after multiple members had tested positive for the virus. When the Congress of Deputies approved the extension of the State of Alarm on 18 March, it was the first time that opposition parties Popular Party and Vox had supported the government in a vote while separatist parties, such as Catalan Republican Left, abstained from the vote.
The response to the coronavirus has been complicated by the fact that Pedro Sánchez is leading PSOE (in coalition with Unidas Podemos) minority government
which is counting on support from opposition parties to enact
coronavirus measures, especially with regards to economic stimulus. So
far, the cabinet is discussing proposals to offer zero-interest loans to
tenants to pay rent so that smaller landlords who depend on rent income
can stay afloat. PP leader Pablo Casado complained that the government was not keeping him informed of developments on the coronavirus. Ciudadanos leader Inés Arrimadas said that she supports the government's actions.
United States
Due to the stock market crash, high unemployment claims, and reduced economic activity caused by the coronavirus pandemic the United States Congress convened to create legislation to address the economic effects of the pandemic and passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Representative Thomas Massie attempted to maneuver for a roll-call vote, but there was insufficient demand among the quorum present and the House passed the bill by voice vote on 27 March.
The outbreak prompted calls for the United States to adopt social policies common in other wealthy countries, including universal health care, universal child care, paid sick leave, and higher levels of funding for public health. Political analysts anticipated it may negatively affect Donald Trump's chances of re-election in the 2020 presidential election. Some state emergency orders have waived open meeting laws that require the public have physical access to the meeting location, allowing meetings to be held by public teleconference.
On 19 March, ProPublica published an article showing that Senator Richard Burr has sold between $628,000 and $1.7 million worth of stocks before the stock market crash using insider knowledge from a closed Senate meeting where Senators were briefed on how coronavirus could effect the United States. Stock transactions committed by Senators Dianne Feinstein, Kelly Loeffler, and Jim Inhofe were also placed under scrutiny for insider trading. On 30 March, the Department of Justice imitated a probe into the stock transactions with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Captain Brett Crozier wrote a four-page memo requesting help for his crew, as a viral outbreak had occurred onboard his ship, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. However, he was soon relieved from his command over the ship, because the memo was leaked to the public. The Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly
initially justified his actions to fire Crozier, saying that the
captain was "too naive or too stupid" to be a commanding officer if he
did not think that the information would get out to the public in this
information age, but later issued an apology in which he acknowledged
that Crozier intended to draw public attention to the circumstances on
his ship. Several members of Congress called for Modly's resignation for his handling of the situation, which he did on 7 April.
State
Multiple U.S. states suspended legislative activity including
Colorado, Kentucky, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, and
Vermont.
On 11 March 2020, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
vetoed $150 million worth on infrastructure projects due to the state
losing $22 million in its general fund for every $1 decrease in the
price of a barrel of oil as a result of the Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war. The Alaska Department of Revenue delayed its release of its budget forecast due to Alaska's dependence on oil prices.
On 10 March, Georgia state senator Brandon Beach
started showing symptoms of COVID-19 and was tested on 14 March.
However, he attended a special session of the legislature on 16 March
before his test results arrived on 18 March showing that he had tested
positive. The entire Georgia state senate, their staffs, and Lieutenant
Governor Geoff Duncan went into quarantine until 30 March.
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Several hundred anti-lockdown protesters rallied at the Ohio Statehouse April 20.
Beginning in mid-April 2020, there have been protests in multiple U.S. states in support of reopening the economy and ending government-imposed lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The protests, mostly organized by conservative groups and individuals, decried the economic and social impact of stay-at-home orders,
business closures, restricted personal movement and association, and
demanded that their state be "re-opened" for normal business and
personal activity. The protests made international news, and were condemned as unsafe and ill-advised. They ranged in size from a few hundred people to several thousand, and spread on social media with encouragement from U.S. President Donald Trump.
By May 1 there had been demonstrations in more than half of the states,
and many governors began to take steps to lift the restrictions.
Venezuela
Reuters reported that during the pandemic, allies of both Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó had secretly begun exploratory talks, according to sources on both sides. Guaidó and U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams have denied that negotiations have taken place.
Impact on elections
Bolivia
On 21 March 2020, President Jeanine Áñez announced the interim government's decision to postpone the snap election.
Other presidential candidates had suggested postponing the election to
prevent the spread of coronavirus through the congregation of large
groups of people.
Chile
A plebiscite
on a new constitution and the convention that would write it was
scheduled on 25 April, but on 19 March, political parties reached an
agreement on postponing the plebiscite to 25 October.
This agreement also postponed municipal and regional elections, from 25
October to 4 April 2021, with the primaries and second rounds of
elections being postponed too.
Ethiopia
On 31 March, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia delayed the House of Representatives elections that were originally scheduled for 29 August, due to the outbreak of coronavirus in Ethiopia.
France
President Emmanuel Macron declared coronavirus as the "biggest health crisis in a century". On 12 March he stated that the first round of local elections would not be rescheduled. The choice to maintain the elections, which took place on 15 March, generated significant controversy. On 16 March, he stated that the second round, originally scheduled for 22 March, would be delayed until 21 June.
Indonesia
The 2020 Indonesian local elections were scheduled to be held on 23 September was postponed, and the Indonesian General Elections Commission proposed postponement to 9 December at the earliest, which was then approved by the People's Representative Council and then signed into law by President Joko Widodo on 5 May. The election's previous budget of around US$ 550 million was reallocated towards pandemic management and control.
Italy
A referendum
on a constitutional amendment to decrease the number of members of
parliament from 630 to 400 was initially scheduled to be held on 29
March, but was postponed to an undetermined date following the outbreak
of the virus in Italy.
Kiribati
The first round of the parliamentary elections
was originally planned to be held on 7 April 2020, but was later moved
to 15 April, with the second round planned for the next week due to the
coronavirus pandemic although there were no cases in the country at the
time.
Latvia
On 6 April 2020, minister-president Krišjānis Kariņš
announced the government's decision to postpone the snap Rīga City
Council's elections. Originally, the snap elections were scheduled for
April 25, and election posters had already started appearing, but as the
COVID-19 crisis broke out, the elections were rescheduled for June 6,
without ruling out a possibility to move the election date closer to the
fall, reported the LETA newswire. Krišjānis Kariņš said: "Considering
the uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 crisis, most probably, we will
move the elections to the beginning of September."
Philippines
On 10 March 2020, the Commission on Elections
(COMELEC) suspended nationwide voter registration until the end of the
month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The registration period began 20
January and is scheduled to run until 30 September 2021.
The suspension was later extended to last until the end of April. The
issuance of voter's certification is also suspended until further
notice. The next nationwide elections scheduled in the Philippines is in
May 2022.
The plebiscite to ratify legislation which proposes the partition of Palawan
into three smaller provinces scheduled for May 2020 may be delayed due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. The province provincial legislature has called
for a special session and is expected to pass a resolution allowing
their governor to ask the COMELEC to postpone the plebiscite.
Poland
Initially the Polish government chose to not delay the presidential election, a decision which caused controversy. Polling has shown 78% of the population to prefer postponing the election. The opposition to the ruling party Law and Justice has argued that the pandemic conditions prevent effective campaigning, and hence reduce the competitiveness of the election.
On 27 March, some candidates for the presidential election failed to
collect 100,000 signatures due to the coronavirus pandemic with only
twelve presidential candidates having successfully collected over
100,000 signatures. Seven candidates submitted petitions with less than
100,000 signatures, but plan to appeal the central election commission's
refusal to register them in the presidential election citing the
coronavirus pandemic hampering the signature collection process.
A change to Poland's election laws was proposed to allow postal
voting for those over 60 and those under quarantine but not abroad,
which was criticized as favoring the incumbent Law and Justice Party. Laws under discussion by parliament in mid-April define the entire vote to be postal and weaken the role of the electoral commission, despite postal workers unions saying this would be impossible.
On May 6th, the Polish governing coalition announced the
presidential election would be postponed due to the pandemic. The new
date of the election has not yet been announced.
Russia
On 25 March, President Vladimir Putin announced the postponement of the constitutional referendum scheduled for 22 April to a later date. At the moment, a new date for the referendum has not yet been determined.
Also, the Central Election Commission postponed about a hundred local elections scheduled for the period from 29 March to 21 June.
Regional elections in more than 20 regions are due to be held on a
"single election day" on 13 September. However, the campaign must start
no later than 15 June. According to media reports, depending on the
epidemiological situation, the Federal government allows the
postponement of a single election day to December 2020 or the holding of
these regional elections on a 2021 single election day.
Serbia
On 16 March 2020, the electoral commission postponed the parliamentary election that was initially planned for 26 April.
Spain
The 2020 Basque regional election,
scheduled for 5 April, were delayed, after an agreement between all the
political parties represented in the Basque parliament; the Galician elections were also suspended.
Sri Lanka
On 19 March, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya announced that the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election will be postponed indefinitely until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa
initially insisted that scheduled forthcoming the election would
proceed as planned on 25 April despite the coronavirus pandemic, and the
authorities banned election rallies and meetings.
Syria
The parliamentary elections originally scheduled for 13 April were delayed to 20 May to protect Syria from coronavirus.
Trinidad and Tobago
The general election
originally scheduled for September is now scheduled to take place in
December so that the country could have more time to safeguard the
election against the coronavirus. Pre-campaigning was partially suspended on 13 March following news of the first reported case of COVID-19 in Trinidad and Tobago.
United Kingdom
On 13 March 2020, the United Kingdom local elections that were meant to be held on 7 May 2020 were rescheduled by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to 6 May 2021 following the advice of the Electoral Commission and in agreement with Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
On 27 March, the Liberal Democrats postponed their leadership election until 2021.
United States
Presidential
States with at least one local, state, or federal election date or method of voting altered as of 4 April 2020.
Municipal election date altered
State level primary or election date altered
State level and municipal primary or election date altered
Federal level primary or election date altered
Campaign
Political
campaigns switched to online and virtual activities in mid-March to
either avoid the spreading of coronavirus or to be in compliance with
statewide social distancing rules. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders started giving online town halls and virtual fundraisers. President Donald Trump's
presidential campaign also shifted from in-person to virtual
campaigning due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules made
after his 2 March rally and both his and other Republican leadership
offices based in Virginia were closed due to stay-at-home orders issued
by Governor Ralph Northam.
On 15 March, the first one-on-one debate of the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries took place between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in CNN's Washington, D.C. studios and without an audience, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The debate was moved from Arizona, which is under a state of emergency and had 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on that date.
On 2 April, the Democratic National Convention,
which was originally scheduled to be held from 13 to 16 July, was
delayed to the week of 17 August after the Democratic National Committee
communicated with the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. On 5 April Biden suggested "a virtual convention" may be necessary; Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity there was "no way" he would cancel the Republican National convention, scheduled to begin on 24 August in Charlotte, NC.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Ron Wyden
(D-OR) expressed concern in early April that the pandemic might lower
voter turnout in November. Closings of churches, universities, and
driver's license centers will make it more difficult for voters to
register and the Democracy Project at the Brennan Center for Justice expect turnout to be low, as it was during the 17 March, Illinois Democratic primary.
Georgia state House Speaker David Ralston (R), predicted that mailing
absentee ballot request forms to all voters in the state during the
coronavirus crisis would be "devastating" for GOP candidates, and
President Trump said that some of the election reforms would make it
harder for Republicans to win office.
There have been calls to postpone the 2020 U.S. presidential
election to next year, but many constitutional scholars, lawmakers have
stated that it would be very difficult to do without amending the
Constitution.
Primaries
On 12 March 2020, the North Dakota Democratic-NPL
cancelled its state convention that was meant to be held from 19 to 22
March where statewide candidates would have been nominated and delegates
to the Democratic National Convention would have been selected. On 13 March, the presidential primary in Louisiana was postponed to 20 June by Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Wyoming had its in-person portion of its caucus and all county conventions suspended and replaced with mail-in ballots.
On 14 March, the presidential primary in Georgia was moved from 24 March to 19 May; on 9 April, the entire primary was again moved to 9 June. On 16 March, Secretary of State Michael Adams announced that the Kentucky primaries would be moved from 19 May to 23 June and Governor Mike DeWine postponed the Ohio primaries despite legal challenges. On 19 March, Governor Ned Lamont moved the Connecticut Democratic primary from 28 April to 2 June. On 20 March, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Republican state chairman Kyle Hupfer, and Democratic state chairman John Zody announced that Indiana's primaries were rescheduled from 5 May to 2 June.
On 21 March, Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced postponed the Puerto Rico presidential primary from 29 March to 26 April. The Alaska Democratic Party canceled in-person voting for its presidential primary and extended its mail-in voting time to 10 April. Governor John Carney postponed the Delaware presidential primary from 28 April to 2 June. The Democratic Party of Hawaii canceled in-person voting for its presidential primary and delayed it from 4 April to sometime in May. Governor Gina Raimondo postponed the Rhode Island presidential primary at the request of the board of elections from 28 April to 2 June. On 27 March, Governor Tom Wolf signed into law legislation passed by the state legislature to postpone Pennsylvania's primaries from 28 April to 2 June. On 28 March, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced at a news conference that New York's presidential primary would be postponed from 28 April to 23 June. On April 8, Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order to reschedule the primary election scheduled to be held on June 2 to July 7.
On 30 March, the Kansas Democratic Party announced that its presidential primary would be conducted only through mail-in ballots, and Governor Brad Little and Secretary of State Lawerence Denney also announced that Idaho's primary elections would also be conducted entirety through mail-in ballots. On 1 April, Governor Jim Justice signed an executive order to postpone West Virginia's primaries from 12 May to 9 June.
Polling places in Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Arizona that were
located in senior living facilities were moved and other health
precautions were enacted. Local election directors in Maryland asked for the state's primary to be changed to only use mail-in ballots and former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Mary J. Miller asked for Governor Larry Hogan to switch to mail-in ballots.
| State | Original date | New date |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | 29 March 2020 | 26 April 2020 |
| Georgia | 24 March 2020 | 9 June 2020 |
| Connecticut | 28 April 2020 | 2 June 2020 |
| Delaware | 28 April 2020 | 2 June 2020 |
| Ohio | 17 March 2020 | 2 June 2020 |
| Pennsylvania | 28 April 2020 | 2 June 2020 |
| Rhode Island | 28 April 2020 | 2 June 2020 |
| Indiana | 5 May 2020 | 2 June 2020 |
| West Virginia | 12 May 2020 | 9 June 2020 |
| Louisiana | 4 April 2020 | 20 June 2020 |
| Kentucky | 19 May 2020 | 23 June 2020 |
| New York | 28 April 2020 | 23 June 2020 |
| New Jersey | 2 June 2020 | 7 July 2020 |
State
Campaign
Thirty-four Democratic and Republican candidates in New York signed a petition asking Governor Andrew Cuomo
for the primary petition signature amounts to be decreased or
eliminated for the primaries to prevent spreading or contracting the
virus during signature collection.
On 14 March, Cuomo reduced the signature requirement to 30% of the
normal limit and moved the deadline from 2 April to 17 March.
On 26 March, the Green Party
stated that the pandemic would prevent third party candidates from
appearing on the ballot unless petitioning requirements were reduced.
Elections
On 11 March 2020, the Michigan Democratic Party cancelled its state convention which was scheduled for 21 March. The Utah Republican, and Democratic parties cancelled their in-person state conventions and the United Utah replaced their caucuses and conventions with virtual meetings.
On 16 March, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the
postponement of the Texas state Senate District 14 special election from
2 May to 14 July.
On 20 March, the North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that
the Republican primary runoff for North Carolina's 11th Congressional
district would be delayed to 23 June and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced that the Republican primary runoff for the 2nd congressional district would be postponed to 23 June. On 23 March, special elections for the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate were postponed.
On 15 March, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster delayed all county and municipal elections in March and April to after 1 May. On 18 March, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey delayed the state's primary runoffs from 31 March to 14 July, Missouri Governor Mike Parson
delayed local elections from 7 April to 2 June, and Secretary of State
Paul Ziriax announced that municipalities could reschedule elections
from 7 April to a late date. On 24 March, Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske
and Nevada's seventeen county election officials announced that
Nevada's June primaries would be conducted entirely through mail-in
ballots. Secretary of State Paul Pate increased the absentee voting period for Iowa's June primaries and also postponed special elections in three counties.
Wisconsin
Due to the pandemic, at least fifteen other U.S. states cancelled or
postponed scheduled elections or primaries at the time of Wisconsin's
election. With Wisconsin grappling with their own pandemic,
state Democratic lawmakers made several attempts to postpone their
election, but were prevented by other Republican legislators. Governor Tony Evers called the Wisconsin legislature into a 4 April special session, but the Republican-controlled Assembly and Senate graveled their sessions in and out within seventeen seconds. In a joint statement afterwards, Wisconsin's state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald
criticized Evers for attempting to postpone the election, for not
calling a special session earlier, and for reversing his previous
position on keeping the election date intact.
Despite admitting that he would violate the law by doing so, on 6 April, Evers attempted to move the election by an executive order, but was blocked by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. On the same day, a separate effort to extend the deadline for mailing absentee ballots was blocked by the Supreme Court of the United States. The only major concession achieved was that absentee ballots postmarked by 7 April at 8 p.m. would be accepted until 13 April.
However, local media outlets reported that many voters had not received
their requested absentee ballots by election day or, due to social distancing, were unable to satisfy a legal requirement that they obtain a witness' signature.
Lawmakers' decision to not delay the election was sharply criticized by the editorial board of the local Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, which had previously endorsed the Republican former governor Scott Walker. They called the election "the most undemocratic in the state's history." The New York Times
characterized the election as "almost certain to be tarred as
illegitimate," adding that the inability of the state's lawmakers to
come to an agreement on moving the election was "an epic and predictable
failure." The newspaper placed the political maneuvering as part of
another chapter in "a decade of bitter partisan wrangling that saw
[state Republicans] clinically attack and defang the state's Democratic
institutions, starting with organized labor and continuing with voting
laws making it far harder for poor and black residents of urban areas to
vote."
Republicans believed that holding the election on 7 April, when
Democratic-leaning urban areas were hard-hit by the pandemic, would help
secure them political advantages like a continued 5–2 conservative
majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court (through the elected seat of Daniel Kelly).
When the election went ahead on 7 April, access to easy in-person
voting heavily depended on where voters were located. In smaller or
more rural communities, which tend to be whiter and vote Republican, few
issues were reported.
In more urbanized areas, the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure
and consolidation of many polling places around the state despite the
use of 2,500 National Guard members to combat a severe shortage in poll workers. The effects were felt most heavily in Milwaukee, the state's largest city with the largest minority population and the center of the state's ongoing pandemic. The city's government was only able to open 5 of 180 polling stations after being short by nearly 1,000 poll workers. As a result, lengthy lines were reported, with some voters waiting for up to 2.5 hours and through rain showers.
The lines disproportionately affected Milwaukee's large Hispanic and
African-American population; the latter had already been
disproportionately afflicted with the coronavirus pandemic, forming
nearly half of Wisconsin's documented cases and over half its deaths at
the time the vote was conducted.
However, by the time the election concluded, Milwaukee Election
Commissioner Neil Albrecht stated that despite some of the problems, the
in-person voting ran smoothly.
Similar problems with poll station closures and long lines were reported in Waukesha, where only one polling station was opened for a city of 70,000, and Green Bay, where only 17 poll workers out of 270 were able to work. Other cities were able to keep lines much shorter, including the state capital of Madison, which opened about two-thirds of its usual polling locations, and Appleton, which opened all of its usual 15.
Voters across the state were advised to maintain social distancing, wear face masks, and bring their own pens. Vos, the state Assembly Speaker, served as an election inspector for in-person voting on 7 April. While wearing medical-like personal protective equipment, he told reporters that it was "incredibly safe to go out" and vote, adding that voters faced "minimal exposure."
Venezuela
The Committee of Electoral Candidacies, in charge of appointing a new National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE), announced that it would suspend its meetings because of the pandemic.
Impact on politicians and public figures
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Political leaders including Santiago Abascal, the president of Vox in Spain, and Nicola Zingaretti, the Secretary of the Democratic Party, have stated that they tested positive for COVID-19.
Australia
On 13 March 2020, Peter Dutton, the Minister for Home Affairs, stated that he was infected with COVID-19 and went into isolation in a hospital after having attended a Five Eyes security pact in Washington, D.C. where he met with United States President Donald Trump, United States Attorney General William Barr, and Ivanka Trump.
Canada
On 12 March 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau went into isolation while Sophie underwent testing that later showed that she tested positive for COVID-19.
On 25 March, the liberal MP from Brampton West, Kamal Khera,
announced that she has tested positive for COVID-19 and would be
self-isolating. She was the first federal politician to test positive.
Germany
On 28 March 2020, Hesse Finance Minister Thomas Schäfer committed suicide as he believed that he could not meet the financial aid expectations to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Ireland
President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald
was the first high-profile Irish politician affected by the spread of
COVID-19, with her party cancelling events and her family entering
self-isolation for a period, after McDonald confirmed on 2 March that
her children attended the same school as the student with the first
recorded case of COVID-19 in Ireland. On 16 March, Thomas Pringle, an independent TD representing the Donegal constituency, entered isolation due to previous contact with someone in Dublin and the high risk to his own personal health.
On 18 March, Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, the independent MEP representing the Midlands–North-West constituency, announced that he and his family would begin self-isolating after his daughter exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.
Libya
On 24 March 2020, Mahmoud Jibril, the leader of the National Forces Alliance
who had served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister of
Libya in 2011, tested positive for coronavirus and later died on 5
April.
Italy
On 7 March 2020, Nicola Zingaretti, the Secretary of the Democratic Party and President of Lazio, announced that he was infected with COVID-19 and Anna Ascani, the vice president of the Democratic Party, also stated that she was infected by the virus on 14 March.
Monaco
On 15 March 2020, Albert II, Prince of Monaco tested positive for coronavirus becoming the first head of state to test positive, but later recovered.
Netherlands
During a debate in the House of Representatives on the COVID-19 pandemic on 18 March 2020, Minister for Medical Care Bruno Bruins
suffered from a fainting, which was attributed to overtiredness. One
day later, the king honorably discharged him at his own request.
Minister Hugo de Jonge took over the tasks relating to the fight against the corona pandemic.
Philippines
Several Filipino politicians and their relatives have tested for
COVID-19 causing public backlash since some of them allegedly bypassed
the Department of Health's
protocol to only test symptomatic individuals or expedited the conduct
and releasing of their COVID-19 testing results during a shortage on
testing kits in the Philippines.
Two members of President Rodrigo Duterte's Cabinet tested positive for COVID-19; Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. and Secretary of Education, Leonor Briones.
Members of both the lower and upper chambers of the Congress of the Philippines have been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. In the Senate, 3 out of 24 Senators have contracted the disease. On 18 March 2020, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri
tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a meeting with a resource
person at the Senate, who later tested positive as well. He and his
family went into self-isolation. Senators Koko Pimentel and Sonny Angara tested positive for the virus as well on 25 and 26 March respectively.
The House of Representatives has one member who have contracted COVID-19. On 26 March Bulacan 4th District representative Henry Villarica was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. ACT-CIS Partylist representative Eric Go Yap
was initially reported to have tested positive for the virus, but later
announced that he had actually tested negative, with the initial
erroneous result attributed to an encoding error by the testing
laboratory.
In the provincial level, Rebecca Ynares, the Governor of Rizal, announced on 26 March to have tested positive for the virus. In the municipal level, Ferdinand Estrella, Mayor of Baliuag, announced on 17 March that he had tested positive for COVID-19. On 20 March, Caba, La Union Mayor Philip Crispin announced that both he and Donna Crispino, his wife and a councilor of the town, had contracted the virus. Batangas City Council Julian Pedro Pastor died from COVID-19 on 4 April.
Russia
On 30 April 2020, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin
that he had tested positive for coronavirus. He temporarily left his
position to recover and asked for First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov to serve as acting prime minister. The next day, the Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev also tested positive for the coronavirus. On 6 May, the Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova tested positive for the coronavirus.
South Africa
Kenneth Meshoe, leader of the African Christian Democratic Party, had been tested for COVID-19 on 22 March 2020 after he participated in a religious gathering in the Free State where five international guests also tested positive for the virus. The ACDP deputy leader Wayne Thring announced on 27 March that Meshoe and fellow ACDP MP Steven Swart had tested positive for the virus.
Spain
On 8 March 2020, Vox held a political rally that was attended by over 9,000 people and later apologised after Santiago Abascal, its president, Javier Ortega Smith, its secretary general, and multiple members of its party in the Congress of Deputies tested positive for COVID-19.
United Kingdom
On 5 March 2020, Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety and parliamentarian Nadine Dorries showed symptoms of COVID-19 after meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and later tested positive. Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and parliamentarian Rachael Maskell went into isolation due to coming in contact with Dorries.[281] Kate Osborne, a Labour MP, was the second MP to test positive for COVID-19.[282] Lloyd Russell-Moyle was the third MP to test positive.
On 25 March, Charles, Prince of Wales became the first member of the British royal family to test positive for coronavirus.
Boris Johnson went into isolation in 10 Downing Street and on 27 March, he announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus. On 5 April, he was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster and was later moved to the intensive care unit the following day.
United States
The Conservative Political Action Conference
(CPAC) was held from 26 to 29 February 2020, and it was later
discovered that one of the attendants with a gold-level VIP ticket had
met with multiple high level politicians. These included Senators Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, and Lindsey Graham; and Representatives Mark Meadows, Paul Gosar, Doug Collins, and Matt Gaetz all of whom later went into self-quarantine along with other members of the Republican Party.
On 18 March, Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL-25) and Ben McAdams (D-UT-4) became the first members of Congress to test positive for the virus. On 22 March, Senator Rand Paul
(R-KY) became the first member of the Senate to test positive for
coronavirus, but despite having taken the test he did not go into
isolation causing Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee to go into isolation after having made contact with Paul. On 19 March, Joe Cunningham (D-SC-1)
went into isolation after coming into contact with another member of
Congress who tested positive and on 27 March he announced that he tested
positive for the virus.
On 7 April, Rand Paul announced that he had recovered from the coronavirus and would start volunteering at a local hospital.
