AP VoteCast: Biden cuts deep into the Sanders coalition

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden cut deep into Bernie Sanders' coalition of young, liberal and Latino voters, securing solid victories in Florida, Illinois and Arizona in unsettled times.

The former vice president on Tuesday expanded his support among groups that have been propping up the Vermont senator's struggling campaign. Biden, who has run as a moderate, won liberals in Florida, and ate into Sanders' advantage with young people. In Arizona and Illinois, the two men were competitive among Latino voters, a group that Sanders heavily courted.

The results from AP VoteCast surveys of thousands of Democratic voters across the three states show Biden consolidating Democrats at a time of rising anxieties about the spread of the new coronavirus and a national mobilization to contain it.

Not surprisingly, voters in all three states ranked health care as a top issue — and in Florida more said they trusted Biden over Sanders to handle the issue.

In just a few weeks, the coronavirus has upended the presidential campaign — not to mention the global economy and Americans' daily routines.

Ohio chose to halt in-person voting on Tuesday 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's a snapshot of voters' priorities and concerns as they cast their ballots:

BIDEN'S BIG TENT

Biden, 77, preserved his strength among older voters, women and moderates and conservatives — all groups that make up majorities of Democratic primary voters. He continued to be African Americans' overwhelming...