After a chaotic 24 hours, polls will be closed in Ohio for Tuesday’s primary.
Late Monday night, Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton declared coronavirus a health emergency and ordered polls closed.
And on Tuesday morning, the Ohio Supreme Court denied a legal challenge to the state’s attempt to delay the election.
The decision came after Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced on Monday night Acton’s upcoming declaration.
Shortly before DeWine’s announcement, Franklin County Judge Richard Frye had blocked the governor’s lawsuit to postpone the election. That case is still pending.
Earlier Monday, DeWine recommended that the election be moved to June 2, and absentee voting take place in the meantime, as a safety measure against COVID-19. He admitted that he did not have the power to unilaterally delay the election, and he announced his intention to file a lawsuit in Franklin County in conjunction with sick and/or old voters who argued they were unable to go to the polls on Tuesday.
Good.
If I were Judge Frye, I would be issuing an order to show cause why Mike DeWine should not be held in contempt and egregiously sanctioned for representing to the court, roughly two hours before he suspended the election, that he needed a court order to suspend the election because he, the governor, did not have authority to suspend the election himself.
So far the governor has been doing a good job. Sadly this was a mess and has undermined his credibility. It should have been done last week.
Is that the ghost of Jeff Sessions on the left???
I am not commenting at all about this particular emergency. But I know fascists and I know the GOP.
“Emergency” is a word that can be used very creatively, and the finality of these kinds of decisions can leave people looking at the rear-view window in stunned amazement.