COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio Democratic Senators are all throwing their support behind a bill that would change this year’s primary date.

As the Ohio Redistricting Commission grapples with drawing a fourth set of legislative maps to determine statehouse districts, Sen. Tina Maharath (D-Canal Winchester) co-sponsored Senate Bill 316 to change the primary date from May 3 to June 28.

Maharath said Democrats were waiting to see what happened with litigation regarding the maps — but now is the time to adjust primary dates.

“If we don’t move the primary election, then this will continue to cause more chaos,” Maharath said.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose sent out a directive Wednesday to Ohio’s 88 boards of elections to officially take the statehouse races off the ballot since the Ohio Supreme Court rejected the third set of legislative maps.

“This is the only currently lawful and reasonable option to continue to move forward toward the May 3, 2022 Primary Election at this unprecedented point in time,” the directive said.

The directive leaves the primary date or possibility of a second election up to the General Assembly.

Maharath, however, raised concerns about holding two elections.

“It’s unclear and it causes much voter suppression as well for those individuals that fully anticipated in voting for the next election, but they don’t know when the next election is,” she said.

A spokesperson for Senate Republicans said, “At this point there has been no desire to move the primary.”

Maharath had this message for her fellow Senators.

“The decisions that we make about this year’s primary election are a matter of election security and voter trust as well,” she said.

Maharath was asked if holding the primary on June 28 leaves the state with enough time.

“June 28th is something that we can work with — June 28th it seems like enough time if we are to get constitutional and fair maps fairly soon,” she said. “In the terms that the court still finds that the next set of maps are unconstitutional it is something that we would have to further discuss.”