Voters take advantage of early voting, Sunday, March 15, in Steubenville, Ohio. Gene J. Puskar/AP

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that he is recommending moving the primary election that was slated to take place on Tuesday to June over fears around the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“It is clear that tomorrow’s in person voting does not conform, and cannot conform with these CDC guidelines. We cannot conduct this election tomorrow, the in person voting for 13 hours tomorrow and conform to these guidelines,” DeWine said.

“We should not be in a situation where the votes of these individuals, who are conflicted, are suppressed. It is therefore my recommendation after talking with the secretary of state, talking with the attorney general, talking with the lieutenant governor, that voting be extended until June 2nd. That no in person voting occur today, but rather that in person voting occur on June 2nd, but between now and then that absentee ballot voting be permitted.”

Important to note: DeWine, however, said he does not have the power to move the primary unilaterally and will now go to court to move the primary.

The move is a complicated one for Ohio officials, as voters have already started voting in the state where 136 pledged delegates are at stake.

The spread of the coronavirus has effectively stopped in person campaigning in the Democratic primary, forcing Biden and Sanders to cancel rallies and town halls. It has also had significant implications on down ballot races.

Ohio is now the latest state to move elections based on the spread of the coronavirus, joining Louisiana, where state officials moved the presidential primary to June, and Georgia, where elections officials will postpone the March 24 presidential primary to May 19. Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Joe Barbuto also announced Friday that "the in-person portion" of their state's caucuses were "suspended due to growing concern" over the virus.

But Ohio’s move is the most significant, given voting had already begun in the state and that it is a sizable delegate prize in the nomination fight.

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