Northam postpones municipal elections to May 19

Gov. Ralph Northam is postponing the May 5 municipal elections by two weeks out of concern about people voting in person during the coronavirus pandemic.

Northam announced Friday he signed an executive order moving the elections to May 19 after his first proposal — to delay them to November — didn’t get approval by the state Senate this week.

“Elections are vital to democracy, and so is the right to vote,” Northam said. “But Virginians should not have to choose between a ballot and their health.”

More than 50 localities have May municipal elections scheduled, including Salem, Vinton, Boones Mill, Rocky Mount and Radford, all of which have open seats on their city and town councils.

Read more: https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/northam-postpones-municipal-elections-to-may-19/article_70a0d044-f10d-5f57-8092-9fbcafddd0a7.html