Ohio Democrats object to delay of state's primary election

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Democrats expressed frustration Tuesday and said they were weighing their options after Ohio's Republican elected leaders postponed primary election voting amid coronavirus concerns.

The state's top health official, Dr. Amy Acton, cited the need to contain the coronavirus in ordering the polls closed hours before voters were supposed to cast ballots Tuesday morning.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced the decision late Monday after a judge ruled against his request that in-person voting be delayed to avoid crowding at polling places that could expose more people and deter older voters.

While DeWine has received wide praise and national attention for his aggressive response to the coronavirus outbreak, he faced second-guessing over Monday's actions.

The Ohio Democratic Party was weighing its options for challenging DeWine's call to put off in-person voting until June 2 for Democratic president and other races. That would force Democrats in primaries to try to stretch resources for weeks more of campaigning against one another instead of allowing the nominees to focus on their general election battles.

“The Ohio Democratic Party strongly supports concluding the primary election earlier than June 2. Extending for that long is highly problematic for any number of reasons, and it is not at all clear that in-person voting will be possible on that date anyway," state party Chairman David Pepper said in a statement critical of the “confusion and chaos” of the late Monday actions.

Pepper added that the “postponement does not create unchecked authority with the governor or secretary of state to run a new election.” The "dangerous precedent of postponing an election” should require convening of the state Legislature to address the...