Curfews, pandemic test voters in primaries held amid unrest

Voters navigated curfews and health concerns in a slate of primary contests on Tuesday that tested the nation's ability to host elections amid dueling crises and moved Joe Biden closer to formally clinching the Democratic presidential nomination.

In all, nine states and the District of Columbia held primary elections to decide a series of state and federal contests, including the 2020 presidential race . With no real competition, Biden and President Donald Trump easily won their respective primary elections in Indiana, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Mexico, Montana and the night's biggest prize: Pennsylvania. Biden also won South Dakota.

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 following the police killing of George Floyd. 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.

https://www.startribune.com/biden-looks-to-clinch-nomination-as-7-states-dc-vote/570945082/