Ohio governor says lawsuit will be filed to postpone primary amid coronavirus pandemic

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is trying to follow the lead of Louisiana and Georgia and postpone his state's presidential primary, which is scheduled for tomorrow, until June as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The problem is, he technically doesn't have the authority to issue such an order — In Ohio, it's the legislative branch rather than executive branch that has to act to make the call.

So, in the meantime, DeWine is recommending people refrain from voting in-person, though absentee ballots will be counted. Then, to make sure in-person voting can eventually happen, DeWine is filing a lawsuit, which means a judge will have make the final decision about whether there will be another round of voting in June, or if tomorrow's results are final regardless of the turnout. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.