Most Democratic primary voters casting ballots Tuesday say they have anxieties about contracting the new coronavirus, but their worries are notably measured during a pandemic that has all-but shuttered public life across the U.S.
About 4 in 10 voters in the primary election in Florida and roughly a third in Illinois said they are "very" concerned they or a family member might get infected with COVID-19. About 40% of voters in each state felt somewhat concerned, according to AP VoteCast surveys of thousands of Americans voting in the presidential primary fight between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
In just a few weeks, the coronavirus has upended that race, the global economy and Americans' daily routines, as government officials have closed schools, warned against travel, shuttered restaurants and advised millions of workers to stay home.
Ohio chose to halt Tuesday's in-person voting and delay its primary to avoid the risk of spreading the virus. Illinois, Florida, and Arizona went ahead, instituting some new safety measures for voters and poll workers.
AP VoteCast surveys are designed to capture voters' views regardless of when or how they voted, accounting for the many voters in Florida and Arizona who voted early. Here is a snapshot of voters' priorities and concerns as they cast their ballots:
Handling Healthcare
Democrats choosing between Biden and Sanders are suddenly forced to consider who might best manage a public health crisis that requires a massive mobilization, not just who might be the best challenger to President Donald Trump in November.
Distress about the coronavirus was spread evenly across gender, education and income levels. But voters under 45 were somewhat less likely than their older counterparts to worry about getting infected.
The outbreak feeds into preexisting concerns about medical treatment. Democratic voters have put healthcare as a top issue of concern throughout the primaries and that remained true in Florida and Illinois.
Biden has made improving Obamacare a cornerstone of his agenda, while Sanders has campaigned on the promise of the government providing universal health coverage.
Democratic primary voters in Florida, a state with both a large population of retirees and many younger tourism and service sector workers, believe Biden would be better than Sanders at handling healthcare issues, 56%-34%.
Illinois voters are closely divided between the two candidates on the issue.
Economic Concerns
The full brunt of the economic damage from the coronavirus has not hit, despite the alarming swings of the stock market in recent weeks. But the surveys reveal most Democratic voters already felt on shaky ground. Few — only about 10% in Florida and Illinois — said they were getting ahead financially in what has been the longest expansion in U.S. history.
Roughly two-thirds in each state think they are "holding steady," while about a quarter describe themselves as falling behind.
Overwhelming majorities in both states — about 70% — describe the country's economic system as unfair. Roughly a third called it "very unfair."
Poised for November
Biden is widely seen as the strongest contender against Trump.
About 80% of voters in Florida and Illinois think the former vice president could definitely or probably win the general election. Smaller majorities in each state — roughly 60% — have the same confidence in a Sanders victory.
Opposition to Trump is a defining trait of Democratic primary voters. In Florida and Illinois, around three-quarters said they would vote for whomever the party nominates to take on Trump. Some — 13% in Illinois and 15% in Florida — say they would vote for Biden, but not Sanders. Somewhat fewer — 8% in Illinois and 5% in Florida — say they would vote for Sanders, but not Biden.
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