This is an update on the news we reported an hour ago, when it looked like the elections were back on, after being called off this afternoon, after a Franklin County Judge denied a request to postpone them based on the novel Coronavirus.
But DeWine and LaRose are insistent that given the health concerns posed by the contagious virus, to say nothing of the chaotic messaging of the past six hours, a legitimate election simply cannot happen. They intend, per the Dispatch, to defy the judge’s order.
Here’s the statement:
It’s unclear what “More to come … ” means in LaRose’s tweet, but lawyers are reportedly working on some sort of appeal. DeWine and LaRose, per the Dispatch, seem set on not having in-person elections tomorrow regardless, i.e., even if an appeal isn’t successful.
UPDATE: Mike DeWine has now announced that Dr. Amy Acton would order the polls closed as “a health emergency.”
As predicted, this will cause additional confusion for the 35,000 Ohio poll workers, who’ve been called nearly 35,000 times with updates on tomorrow’s plans.
Gosh, what a strange night!
This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2020.
