COLUMBUS, Ohio—Unhappy with Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s directive postponing Ohio’s primary election from Tuesday until June 2 amid coronavirus fears, Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder says the House is looking to act to “legally” adopt, change or extend the election date.

However, after considering calling House members in on Tuesday to vote on such changes, the speaker – as well as Senate President Larry Obhof -- now say lawmakers won’t convene until next week, when they’re scheduled to meet March 24, 25, and 26.

“We will consider an extension of absentee voting for the March 17 primary,” Householder said in a statement Tuesday afternoon, adding they will also consider a list of to-do items requested by Gov. Mike DeWine. “I do not want to expose members and staff to coming in and out of Columbus multiple times unless absolutely necessary during this virus situation.”

UPDATE: Speaker @HouseholderOH decides not to convene the Ohio this week. "We will consider an extension of absentee voting for the March 17 primary and the

Governor’s items next week during our regularly scheduled session days." pic.twitter.com/9og47EGnyE — Jeremy Pelzer (@jpelzer) March 17, 2020

On Monday night, the Ohio Department of Health ordered that polls for Tuesday’s primary election be closed because of fears that polling places could facilitate the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected about 190,000 people worldwide, including 67 confirmed cases in Ohio as of Tuesday afternoon.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, on his own authority, issued a directive Monday night to local elections officials moving the primary to June 2.

“The secretary believes that Ohioans who intended to vote on March 17 must be afforded the opportunity to do so,” said LaRose spokesman Jon Keeling in a statement Tuesday. “In his role, he has a duty to finish this election, and he has directive authority to do so. The directive issued last night lays out a path to do that, but he recognizes the legislature or courts could certainly provide greater clarity.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Householder issued a statement saying that the Ohio legislature must act to hammer out what should be done about Ohio’s primary.

“Over the last 18 hours, unprecedented chaos and confusion have reigned over Ohio’s election system,” the Perry County Republican stated. “The legal authority to change the date rests with the Ohio General Assembly – not the courts and not via executive fiat.”

While Householder and Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes spent Tuesday morning contacting their respective members to determine their ability to attend a session on Tuesday, the Ohio Senate was not as anxious to act.

Ohio Senate Republicans spokesman John Fortney stated via text that the Senate will stick to its existing schedule and not meet until Wednesday, March 25. Obhof and Householder have talked about the situation regarding the primary and the next steps moving forward, Fortney said in a statement.

Ohio House Majority Whip Jay Edwards said Tuesday that “all options are on the table” for state lawmakers. The Athens County Republican said lawmakers' phones have been ringing off the hook Tuesday morning from constituents trying to vote and poll workers complaining that they aren't getting paid.

Sykes, in a release, said she “strongly” urges Householder and Senate President Larry Obhof to immediately call the legislature back into session.

“We never should have arrived at this point,” Sykes, an Akron Democrat, said in a statement. “The Ohio Black Legislative Caucus asked days ago for the governor, Speaker and Senate President to reevaluate our preparedness for this election. They called on the legislature to convene to address these concerns and others. ...But they waited and miscalculated and ordered poll workers to not report to the polls before a judge had even made a decision.”

There’s another wrinkle that must be worked out in order for lawmakers to hold session: The Ohio Department of Health has banned mass gatherings of 50 people or more in the state.

However, Householder said lawmakers believe that limit doesn’t apply to the legislature as a separate branch of government and "would unlawfully restrict constitutionally protected political speech.”

The order already includes an exemption for free-speech-related gatherings. However, Householder said he has consulted with Attorney General Yost about the legal issues surrounding the 50-person limit and asked the attorney general to “seek relief from the limits.”

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