xi's moments
Home | Americas

US Ohio state authorities halt Tuesday's primary voting

Xinhua | Updated: 2020-03-17 10:44

A volunteer helps a voter casts her early vote for the Ohio primary election at the board of elections in Medina, Ohio, US March 16, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced on Monday night that his administration will close the polls on Tuesday, the scheduled primary day, due to rapid spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus," DeWine tweeted.

DeWine said Dr. Amy Action, director of the Ohio Department of Health, had signed the order to close all polling locations, and that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose would seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options to Ohioans.

Earlier on Monday, DeWine said he requested a court in the midwest state to grant delay of the state's Tuesday primary to June, but a Franklin County judge ruled in the evening that it would be a "terrible precedent" for a judge to change the date and rule 12 hours before the election takes place, according to local media reports.

Ohio is one of the four states set to vote on Tuesday. The other three -- Arizona, Florida and Illinois -- still plan to hold their primary elections on Tuesday, said the reports.

A number of US states, including Louisiana, Georgia and Kentucky, have postponed their primary elections due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Joe Barbuto announced Friday that "the in-person portion" of their state's caucuses was "suspended due to growing concern" over the virus.

US President Donald Trump on Monday advised people not to gather in groups of more than 10, one day after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended no gatherings with 50 people or more for the next eight weeks.

Global Edition
BACK TO THE TOP
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349