Ohio Secretary of State office announces primary still set for May 3

**Related Video Above: A report from earlier this week on May primary uncertainty.**

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP/WJW) — Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office confirmed Saturday Ohio is going forward with a May 3 primary, after top leaders recently urged lawmakers to delay following continued redistricting map setbacks.

“The General Assembly has the legal authority to set the time, place, and manner of our elections, and they’ve made it clear that the state House and Senate contests will be placed on the May 3 ballot,” LaRose said in a statement after directing all 88 county boards of election to prepare Saturday. He also mentioned there were risks that come along with rushing this process.

“Elections officials across Ohio are concerned about the compressed timeline for candidate certification, ballot preparation, and the programming and testing of voting equipment. These are serious concerns, but our directive is clear, and we will work tirelessly with Ohio’s bipartisan election professionals to achieve it, delivering the secure, accessible election Ohioans expect and deserve,” LaRose said.

An extraordinary showdown that would have brought a high-powered line-up of Ohio’s political mapmakers before the Ohio Supreme Court was continued earlier this week. The decision followed the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s approval of a a third set of legislative maps Thursday and their submission to the court Friday.

The panel’s action averted an in-person hearing the court had summoned commissioners to Tuesday. Individually and as a body, they faced contempt charges for defying a court-ordered Feb. 17 deadline for approving the maps.

A decision had not yet been issued on whether the new plan itself is constitutional.

Those who plan to run for congress now have a filing deadline of Friday, March 4.