CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM, COLUMBUS, Ohio- Led by the Ohio ACLU and the League of Women's Voters of Ohio, a coalition of voting rights advocates filed suit Monday in federal district court in opposition to a new state law adopted last week that precludes in person and poll voting and extends Ohio's primary election to April 28 via mail-in voting, an election delayed by Gov Mike DeWine for the March 17 primary election in response to the coronavirus outbreak

The lawsuit plaintiffs say the new state law is unconstitutional and disenfranchises voters because it is rushed and denies in person voting and access to the polls, and that it disenfranchises groups like Blacks who are not accustom to mail-in voting.

In addition to in person voting, the plaintiffs want, among other requests outlined in the lawsuit now before before the United States District Court in the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus, a new deadline for the primary beyond April 28 that is not rushed, and the re-opening of voter registration until 30 days before the voting deadline.

They also want primary ballots mailed to registered voters who have not yet voted free of charge.

There are currently 1,933 confirmed coronavirus cases in Ohio across 70 of its 88 counties, and 39 deaths.

Ohio was one of four states slated to hold primaries on March 17, primaries also scheduled for Florida, Illinois and Arizona, all three of them going forward with Joe Biden sweeping all three states.

On the ballot in Ohio are candidates for judge-ships, state legislative seats, Congress, health and human service issues, and more, including Democratic candidates for president.

The governor's decision to close the polls in Ohio follow his previous orders to close K-12 schools, and to forbid dining inside restaurants, coupled with a host of other precautionary measures suggested by state officials and the Centers for Disease Control, including the recommendations of avoiding gatherings of more than 50 people, staying home when sick, and getting tested if symptoms like fever and chills develop.

DeWine accepted responsibility for his actions. The decision by state officials to shut down the polls in the pivotal state of Ohio was sanctioned by state Department of Health Director Dr. Amy, if not directed, and came in response to a lawsuit filed by two elderly Franklin county voters, Franklin County the largest of 88 counties statewide, and of which includes the capital city of Columbus.

The field of more than 28 Democratic candidates for president has now been essentially narrowed down to two, U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Biden, who was the vice president under former president Barack Obama, the nation's first Black president.

The March 17 primary election that went forward in states other than Ohio represented some 14 percent of the total pledged delegates, 67 in Arizona, 219 in Florida, 155 in Illinois, and 136 pledged delegates available in Ohio. Biden picked up 305 more pledged delegates on March 17, and Sanders, 163. Following Tuesday's March 17 primaries Biden now has 1,215 pledged delegates, and Sanders, 910, a candidate needing at least 1,991 of the total 3,979 pledged delegates to win the nomination.

Since Ohio cancelled its primary, other states, some 14 of them, have delayed their primaries too.

This ripple effect, said sources, is making the Democratic National Committee leaders nervous.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.