It's Brian Lehrer, and this is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios.

It's Wednesday, March 18th.

Yesterday, Democratic presidential primaries took place in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois,

amid the coronavirus outbreak. But as the

2020 calendar marches on, states must determine if holding elections is worth the public health risk.

Ohio's governor, Mike DeWine, went against at least a lower court order yesterday to postpone his

state's primary, not cancel, but even postponing

is heavy. Is it too far-fetched to imagine President Trump trying something like that in November?

Vanita Gupta is one of those trying to make sure there is no way that happens. She wants to make

sure voter rights are upheld as leaders fight to control the virus.

Vinita Gupta is president and CEO of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights coalition,

the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Some of you may know she previously served as the acting assistant attorney general

and head of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights

Division under President Obama. Vanita, welcome back to WNYC.

Great to be here. Thank you so much, Brian.

So Ohio Governor Mike DeWine closed polling stations before voting in its primary could take place

yesterday.

Here's DeWine insisting on the view that he did not violate a court order.

It was not a specific court order.

We did not defy any court order.

In fact, the Ohio Supreme Court later in the night in a separate case basically said that the elections could be stopped. So we did not defy anything, but let me again emphasize, this is not just a Democrat primary.

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