COLUMBUS–Tonight the Director of Ohio Department of Health ordered a delay of Ohio’s Primary Election to June 2, 2020, given the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.

The ACLU of Ohio offered the following statement:

“The rescheduling of elections must not become a new normal.  But the chaos and uncertainty surrounding this election should serve as a wakeup call.  To respond to this unprecedented health emergency, it is imperative that the Ohio legislature, Governor DeWine, and Secretary LaRose ramp up their efforts to ease and expand opportunities for Ohioans to vote absentee. This is common sense, and there is ample time before the June primary date and certainly before the November election to get this done. Public health and participatory democracy are not a binary choice. We must be proactive and implement long-term solutions that keep Ohioans safe without jeopardizing the integrity of our democracy,”said Freda Levenson, Legal Director of the ACLU of Ohio.

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