On eve of primary, Ohio's health director orders polls closed
After a judge ruled on Monday evening that Ohio's Tuesday primary could not be postponed until June 2, the state's director of health, Dr. Amy Acton, declared a health emergency in order to keep the polls from opening.
"During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) tweeted.
A lawsuit was filed by voters who wanted to delay the primary until June 2, hoping the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic would be over by then. DeWine supported their efforts, but Judge Richard Frye ruled that it would be a "terrible precedent" for him to postpone a primary right before it was set to begin.
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Following Frye's ruling, DeWine and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose released a statement saying it "simply isn't possible to hold an election tomorrow that will be considered legitimate by Ohioans" and voters "mustn't be forced to choose between their health and exercising their constitutional rights." There are 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio.
