Case: 2:20-cv-01638-MHW-EPD Doc #: 52 Filed: 04/02/20 Page: 1 of 27 PAGEID #: 568 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO, EASTERN DIVISION LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF OHIO, et al, : : Plaintiffs, : Case No. 2:20-cv-1638 : v. : JUDGE WATSON : FRANK LAROSE, et al, : : Defendants. : DEFENDANT STATE OF OHIO’S OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER Defendant State of Ohio hereby responds to Plaintiffs’ Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order. The State respectfully requests that the Court deny Plaintiffs’ motion. A memorandum in support is attached. Respectfully submitted, DAVE YOST Ohio Attorney General /s/ Julie M. Pfeiffer JULIE M. PFEIFFER (0069762) ANN YACKSHAW (0090623) Associate Assistant Attorney General Constitutional Offices Section 30 East Broad Street, 16th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215 Tel: (614) 466-2872; Fax: (614) 728-7592
[email protected] [email protected] Counsel for State of Ohio Case: 2:20-cv-01638-MHW-EPD Doc #: 52 Filed: 04/02/20 Page: 2 of 27 PAGEID #: 569 I. INTRODUCTION Elections in Ohio are conducted by statute, not by litigation. Elections conducted by litigation invite special interest groups to intervene to plead for special benefits and pet causes. See, e.g., ODP Motion to Intervene, Doc. 25; LPO Motion to Intervene, Doc. 29; ORP Motion to Intervene, Doc. 32.1 But when elections are conducted by statute, one decision-making body makes one set of rules. And that is precisely what happened here: the Ohio General Assembly responded to a once-in-a-generation pandemic that shut down in-person voting for the 2020 presidential primary election.