COLUMBUS, Ohio — Education, health-care and taxes continue to be focal points of ongoing state budget negotiations in Columbus.

But another issue — the date of the 2020 presidential primary election, nestled into the 3,217-page document by the Ohio Senate last week — has come up as a new potential area of disagreement.

That’s because the Ohio Senate set the election for March 17, 2020 — St. Patrick’s Day. Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration draws massive, sometimes raucous crowds — estimated in the hundreds of thousands, which Cleveland’s tourism bureau says makes it among the largest celebrations of the holiday in the country. Democrats and elections officials in Cleveland are concerned the disruptions to Downtown polling places, and the competition for people’s time and attention will dampen turnout in one of the most populous areas of the state.

Convincing Republicans to change the date — requested by the Ohio Republican Party for procedural reasons involving national GOP rules — will be “tough,” said Rep. Jack Cera, a Belmont County Democrat who serves on a conference committee negotiating a final budget, which is expected later this week.

“But we don’t like it,” Cera said.

He brought the topic up on Tuesday while chatting with reporters following a hearing after which Republican conference committee members headed to a back room without saying much. The hearing otherwise focused on revenue projections from Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget office and the state legislature’s nonpartisan researchers, who after earlier disagreement, now are on the same page in forecasting significantly better-than-expected revenue projections, thanks to a strong economy.

The Senate set next year’s primary for March 17 at the behest of the Ohio Republican Party, working to schedule the election so Ohio’s contest will fall after March 15, the cut-off under Republican National Committee rules for states that want their delegates to be awarded on a winner-take all basis.

The new date flew under the radar for most, appearing within an omnibus amendment package incorporated into the state budget late in the process. The budget passed the next day unanimously with bipartisan support.

Evan Machan, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party, said: “Early voting laws are some of the best in the country. We encourage voters to utilize their right to early vote if they have prior commitments on Election Day.”

State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, a Democrat who represents traditionally Irish areas of Cleveland’s West Side, said she noticed the date and it immediately prompted her concern that it might conflict with the holiday.

“It would to me be such a hindrance to people voting — people who don’t already vote in primaries," she said. “I am very concerned, and I’ve brought this up with my colleagues.”

“I do believe we have people on both sides that this could be an issue for," she added. "We don’t want to be preventing people from voting or making it more difficult to vote, especially for those who live Downtown,” she said.

Cuyahoga County elections officials noticed the date and have discussed internally the challenges it might create, said Anthony Perlatti, director of the board of elections.

“We haven’t put much thought into it because we’re kind of hoping it doesn’t happen,” Perlatti said.

But their initial concerns include polling-place logistics — Downtown polling places, like the Old Stone Church in Public Square, may have to be closed for logistical and security reasons, he said. Elections officials are unsure if they would instead move the polling places but aren’t sure if that would cause confusion.

There are also security concerns. The parade and surrounding celebration, at which some often drink heavily, could result in rowdy people showing up at the polling places.

There’s also parking concerns, street closures, possible issues recruiting polling workers and most importantly, he said, a possible negative impact on turnout.

“Voting probably will not be the first thing on many people’s minds that day,” Perlatti said. “They’re going to have their day planned out with friends and family, and maybe they’ll be able to squeeze voting in, but who knows.”