Ohio Democratic Party sues over primary delay

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Politicians of all stripes expressed frustration Tuesday after Ohio’s primary was postponed until June by the state’s elected officials amid concerns attendance at polling places would contribute to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ohio Democratic Party sued Tuesday afternoon over Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s decision to set a new date, saying that power rests only with the Legislature.

The state’s top health official, Dr. Amy Acton, cited the need to contain the pandemic in calling off the election hours before voters were supposed to cast ballots Tuesday morning.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced the decision late Monday after a judge rejected an administration-backed request that in-person voting be delayed to avoid crowding at polling places that could expose people and deter older voters. LaRose quickly ordered all county election boards to comply.

DeWine and LaRose, a Republican, defended their action in a statement Tuesday night, saying it saved lives and will allow both absentee ballots and in-person voting.

Allowing the election would have “dangerously advanced the spread of coronavirus across Ohio,” they said in a statement. While DeWine has received wide praise and national attention for his aggressive response to the coronavirus outbreak, he faced second-guessing.

Republican House Speaker Larry Householder decried “unprecedented chaos and confusion” and the undermining of Ohio’s “system of government.”