One day before his state is set to hold its presidential primary, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) is recommending that the state postpone in-person voting until June 2 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In a series of tweets on Monday afternoon, DeWine recommended that the state bump back the date to allow more people to vote. He added that a lawsuit would be filed to allow a court to weigh on the matter.
DeWine said he does not have the authority to postpone an election, instead that is a decision that must be made by the courts or the state legislature.
“It is my recommendation that we postpone in-person voting until June 2, 2020. #COVID19 #COVID19OhioReady.”
We cannot tell people to stay inside, but also tell them to go out and vote. #COVID19 #COVID19OhioReady
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 16, 2020
I believe when we look back on this, we'll be happy we did this. The votes that have already been cast will still be counted – and this recommendation would allow others to vote in the future. #COVID19 #COVID19OhioReady
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 16, 2020
A lawsuit will be filed to postpone the election until June 2, 2020. In the meantime, voters would still be able to request absentee ballots. It will be up to a judge to decide if the election will be postponed.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 16, 2020
DeWine’s decision to recommend the delay comes after he announced that restaurants and bars across the state would be ordered to close due to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Additionally, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also questioned whether it would “make a lot of sense” for states to hold their presidential primaries amid a global pandemic.
Louisiana and Georgia have already pushed back their primary dates, which led some to question if the four states that were set to hold their elections on Tuesday would follow suit.