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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's top elections official is pausing certain preparations for the May 3 primary in the face of a court decision invalidating a third set of GOP-drawn maps of new legislative districts.
Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose coupled a directive issued to county election boards Thursday night with a two-page letter to fellow members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission explaining that counties are now “simply out of time” to complete the work necessary to hold elections for state representatives and state senators as scheduled.
His order prohibits counties from altering or sending ballots until further notice and pauses reprogramming of voter registration and tabulating systems. It instructs boards to continue recruiting poll workers, advertising voter registration information and conducting other tasks unrelated to the maps. LaRose finalized a deal with the Justice Department on Friday allowing 10 extra days for the return of military and overseas ballots.
But the secretary of state does not have the power to change Ohio's primary election date. LaRose said that decision now must come from either the Legislature or “immediate action of a federal court.”
LaRose indicated in a string of tweets on Friday that U.S. House contests will go forward, however, despite a constitutional challenge over Ohio's second congressional map still awaiting action at the Ohio Supreme Court.
U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley reopened a connected federal lawsuit Friday filed by a group of GOP voters, after they had pleaded to have their case expedited, and appointed a three-judge panel to hear the case.
Meanwhile, a growing chorus of interest groups and politicians of both parties has begun calling on lawmakers to delay the primary — to June, or even August — in light of the latest ruling.
LaRose blasted national Democrats and the Ohio Supreme Court for the predicament. He accused the Biden administration of intentionally delaying census results on which maps are built, deep-pocketed “out of state special interests” of a time-eating litigation strategy and the high court's bipartisan majority of dawdling in its deliberations.
“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.
The U.S. Census Bureau was supposed to deliver new population tallies to states last spring, kicking off the once-per-decade redrawing of political boundaries. The agency attributed a monthslong delay to difficulties presented by the coronavirus pandemic in conducting the head count, which mostly took place in 2020 — during the presidency of Republican Donald Trump.
In its decision Wednesday night, the Supreme Court ruled the third set of legislative maps remains gerrymandered in favor of Republicans, in violation of the state Constitution.
The court faulted two leading lawmakers on the Republican-dominated Redistricting Commission — Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Bob Cupp — for allowing a secretive, partisan map-making process and gave the panel until March 28 to remedy the situation.
Voting rights and Democratic groups behind lawsuits against the maps also faulted LaRose, suggesting he and the commission's Republican majority have acted defiantly against passing maps that would satisfy the courts, the Constitution and voters.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission has scheduled a hearing for Saturday to discuss new maps.
Hmm.
Republicans drew 3 maps, which all violated the OH constitution for being unfair and partisan and they wanted to get away with it ?
Screw them.
Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose coupled a directive issued to county election boards Thursday night with a two-page letter to fellow members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission explaining that counties are now “simply out of time” to complete the work necessary to hold elections for state representatives and state senators as scheduled.
His order prohibits counties from altering or sending ballots until further notice and pauses reprogramming of voter registration and tabulating systems. It instructs boards to continue recruiting poll workers, advertising voter registration information and conducting other tasks unrelated to the maps. LaRose finalized a deal with the Justice Department on Friday allowing 10 extra days for the return of military and overseas ballots.
But the secretary of state does not have the power to change Ohio's primary election date. LaRose said that decision now must come from either the Legislature or “immediate action of a federal court.”
LaRose indicated in a string of tweets on Friday that U.S. House contests will go forward, however, despite a constitutional challenge over Ohio's second congressional map still awaiting action at the Ohio Supreme Court.
U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley reopened a connected federal lawsuit Friday filed by a group of GOP voters, after they had pleaded to have their case expedited, and appointed a three-judge panel to hear the case.
Meanwhile, a growing chorus of interest groups and politicians of both parties has begun calling on lawmakers to delay the primary — to June, or even August — in light of the latest ruling.
LaRose blasted national Democrats and the Ohio Supreme Court for the predicament. He accused the Biden administration of intentionally delaying census results on which maps are built, deep-pocketed “out of state special interests” of a time-eating litigation strategy and the high court's bipartisan majority of dawdling in its deliberations.
“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.
The U.S. Census Bureau was supposed to deliver new population tallies to states last spring, kicking off the once-per-decade redrawing of political boundaries. The agency attributed a monthslong delay to difficulties presented by the coronavirus pandemic in conducting the head count, which mostly took place in 2020 — during the presidency of Republican Donald Trump.
In its decision Wednesday night, the Supreme Court ruled the third set of legislative maps remains gerrymandered in favor of Republicans, in violation of the state Constitution.
The court faulted two leading lawmakers on the Republican-dominated Redistricting Commission — Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Bob Cupp — for allowing a secretive, partisan map-making process and gave the panel until March 28 to remedy the situation.
Voting rights and Democratic groups behind lawsuits against the maps also faulted LaRose, suggesting he and the commission's Republican majority have acted defiantly against passing maps that would satisfy the courts, the Constitution and voters.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission has scheduled a hearing for Saturday to discuss new maps.
Ohio pauses preparations for May 3 primary amid map flap
By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press
www.wfmj.com
Hmm.
Republicans drew 3 maps, which all violated the OH constitution for being unfair and partisan and they wanted to get away with it ?
Screw them.