1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Postponing Federal Elections and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Legal Considerations March 20, 2020 On March 13, 2020, Louisianas Governor invoked emergency powers to announce that the states presidential primary
2、 election, previously scheduled for April 4, would be postponed for more than two months as part of the states response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Other states soon began exploring similar changes, prompting election officials, candidates, and voters to prepare for disrupti
3、ons that could persist through Novembers general election. This Sidebar reviews the legal provisions that would constrain any efforts to delay or cancel federal elections during a public health crisis or other national emergency. The first part reviews laws pertaining to presidential elections, and
4、the second part reviews laws relevant to congressional elections. Presidential Elections Presidential selection and succession is best understood as a three-step process, consisting of (1) the nomination of candidates by political parties; (2) the appointment of electors; and (3) balloting by electo
