Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a directive instructing all boards of elections in the state to remove the names of candidates for Ohio House, Ohio Senate, and State Central Committee from the May 3 primary ballot, stating that the boards of election must reprogram their databases and prepare ballots by April 5, and it is not possible to include the primary contests on the ballot because of the Supreme Court’s decision last week invalidating the February 24, 2022 General Assembly district plan.

The General Assembly has the authority to decide when the election will be held.

They can move the election, or allow the statewide, congressional, and local races to continue on the May 3 ballot and reschedule the General Assembly primary contests for a later date.

Senate Bill 316 was introduced this week to move the primary to June 28.

Gov. Mike DeWine has delayed Ohio’s in-person voting by order of the state’s Health Department after a day of uncertainty about the status of the presidential primary election.

DeWine indicated earlier in the day at a press conference he did not have authority to unilaterally delay the primary and a lawsuit would be filed to move the election to June 2 over concern about COVID-19.

On Monday evening, Judge Richard A. Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas rejected the request.

After the court ruling allowing the election to proceed and an evening of conflicting information, DeWine ended speculation with a tweet at 10:11 p.m.

The Health Department ordered all polling places not to open for Tuesday’s primary elections to protect voters and poll workers from the coronavirus outbreak.

Less than 24 hours before the scheduled primary election, Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a lawsuit will be filed in Franklin County today.

This will be requesting Tuesday’s in-person primary election be postponed until June 2.

The proposal will extend the deadline for requesting absentee ballots for voters who are unforeseeably confined or hospitalized.

In turn it will offer curbside voting for anyone concerned about entering their polling place as the state’s primary election rolls on during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Husted explained the June 2 date would allow anyone who had planned to vote in person to request an absentee ballot and return it in time to vote in the election.

Whether or not the election will be postponed will be decided by court order.

Recently introduced legislation could eliminate unnecessary elections if only one person is on the ballot.

The special primary set for September 13, for example, will cost taxpayers $500,000 despite there being only one person on the ballot to become the Democratic nominee going into the November special general election.

Ohio Sen. Frank LaRose, who introduced Senate Bill 347, believes forcing county boards of elections to hold uncontested primary elections is a waste of both time and resources. His proposal would remove the requirement to hold a primary when only one candidate is certified and would allow the secretary of state to declare the lone candidate the party’s nominee.