Ohio secretary of state: ‘There was no way in good conscience we could order an election’

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) on Tuesday said that it was ultimately “untenable” for the state to go through with its scheduled primary elections due to the coronavirus outbreak across the country.

LaRose’s comments come after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced Monday night that his administration would order the closing of all polling places ahead of Tuesday’s primaries, calling the spread of COVID-19 an “unprecedented public health crisis.”

“There was no way in good conscience we could order an election and certainly not a legitimate election,” LaRose told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota.

“There was no way in good conscience we could order an election and certainly not a legitimate election,” says Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on the postponed state primary due to coronavirus.https://t.co/jDerNyReiK pic.twitter.com/6mXTLd5dhm

— New Day (@NewDay) March 17, 2020

DeWine on Monday said that he would support a lawsuit that would push the state’s primary back until June, though a Franklin County judge later on Monday rejected the suit, ruling that it would be a “terrible precedent” for a judge to change the date and rules 12 hours before the election takes place.

Also on Monday, the Trump administration recommended that people should not gather in groups of larger than 10. Ohio, along with many other states, has closed restaurants, bars and other businesses that attract large gatherings such as movie theaters.

Arizona, Illinois and Florida are still set to host primaries Tuesday.