The election official has paused preparations for early voting in Ohio following a court order which nullified “a third set of GOP-drawn maps of new legislative districts.”
Frank LaRose, “Ohio Republican Secretary,” wrote to the “county election boards” on Thursday night explaining that counties have run out of time to finish the preparations required to conduct the state senators and state representative’s elections as scheduled.
Frank’s order prevents counties from sending or altering ballots until they communicate. They also paused tabulating systems and reprogramming the registration of voters.
However, the letter instructed the boards to hire poll employees, advertise information on voter registration, and carry out other tasks not related to the drafted maps.
On Friday, La Rose struck a deal with the Justice Department, adding ten more days for the shipment of overseas and military ballots.
LaRose has no power to alter the state’s main voting date. According to him, the decision to do so comes from the legislature or “immediate action of federal court.”
“U.S. House contests will go forward,” LaRose tweeted on Friday, although “Ohio’s second Congressional Map” faces a constitutional challenge that the state’s supreme court hasn’t solved.
LaRose blamed the “Ohio Supreme Court” and the national democrats for the dilemma caused by the reopening of the federal lawsuit by a gang of “GOP voters” after the group pleaded with the judge to expedite their case. The judge appointed three judges to the panel to hear and rule on the case.
“Regardless, we’ve never let up in the effort to make a complete May 3 primary election a success, and I’m confident we’re prepared to do that,” he wrote.
“voting rights and democratic groups” leading the lawsuit blamed LaRose, claiming that the representative and “the commission’s republican majority” acted unlawfully because they effused to pass the maps, which would satisfy the voters, constitution, and courts.
Sources:
