Joe Biden scored a clean sweep of the seven states conducting Democratic presidential primaries Tuesday.
The presumptive Democratic nominee had no active opposition, yet the delegate haul is important to Biden's goal of gaining enough delegates to claim the Democratic nomination before the party's summer convention. Tuesday's results may leave Biden just short of the 1,991 delegates he needs, but primaries next week in Georgia and West Virginia could put him over the top.
Of Tuesday's elections, Pennsylvania's could add the most delegates to Biden's count. He also won contests in Maryland, Indiana, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Montana and South Dakota.
Also choosing a nominee Tuesday are voters in the District of Columbia. Those results were still pending late Tuesday.
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In all, nine states and the District of Columbia were hosting elections, including four that delayed their April contests because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Two other states holding primary elections, Idaho and Iowa, chose their presidential nominees early in the year and are now focused on other offices.
In-person voting numbers were down in every state as many voters were encouraged to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Voters waited in long lines hours after polls closed in some cases, brushing up against curfews in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, two cities rocked by protests after the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.
Officials in both places said voters wouldn't be arrested for breaking curfew, but thousands of protesters defied the mayors' orders at the same time, setting up a potential clash with law enforcement agencies and National Guard troops patrolling the streets during a fifth night of social unrest.
Voters were forced to brave long lines in "militarized zones" because officials consolidated the vast majority of polling places in Philadelphia to minimize health risks, according to Erin Kramer, executive director of One Pennsylvania.
Biden was in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning to deliver remarks about the civil unrest that has erupted across the nation. He didn't talk about the primary, instead focusing his attention on Trump, whom Biden blasted as "more interested in power than in principle."
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is not actively campaigning, having suspended his operation and endorsed Biden, but his name appeared on the ballots. On Monday, senior adviser Jeff Weaver had encouraged progressives to vote for Sanders anyway.
"People who support Bernie Sanders and his agenda, who want to maximize the influence of progressives at the convention, should cast their vote for Bernie Sanders," Weaver said, reminding voters that the Vermont senator is seeking leverage to shape the party's platform and rules.
The comments serve as a reminder that Biden may have no legitimate Democratic rivals remaining but must still win over activists from his party's far-left flank, who worry he's too close to the political establishment.
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Party unity will likely be an afterthought this week, however, as more immediate health and safety concerns dominate the national conversation. The coronavirus death toll has topped 105,000 nationwide.
At the same time, several major cities, including some voting Tuesday, are grappling with protests.
In Washington, the mayor ordered a 7 p.m. curfew, though voting places will be open until 8 p.m. Voting has been deemed essential, and city officials say voters will not be subject to arrest if they cast ballots during the curfew. Philadelphia moved its 6 p.m. curfew back to 8:30 p.m. for Tuesday to accommodate voting.
"We are in unique times, and voting is a unique challenge for people," said Josh Schwerin, chief strategist for the pro-Democrat super PAC Priorities USA. He said that his organization and others will be watching closely on Tuesday "to see how well it works, where issues are and where obstacles have been put in place."
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Political groups have had to adjust as some states move to a system that relies largely on voting by mail. They include Montana, where all 56 counties decided to vote entirely by mail. Voting rights watchdogs in multiple states have expressed concerns about access to mail ballots, confusion about deadlines and a shortage of poll workers that could lead to long lines.
Information for this article was contributed by Rodrique Ngowi and Terry Spencer of The Associated Press.
A Section on 06/03/2020