Boards of elections in Mahoning and Trumbull counties will be ready for the May 3 primary, even with the delays in getting state legislative and congressional maps approved, their directors say.

But if the Ohio Supreme Court rules that any of the maps are unconstitutional, the primary will have to be postponed, they say.

“It’s going to be tough to be ready, but we’ll do it,” Stephanie Penrose, Trumbull’s elections director, said. “We always come through. The time is so short. We would normally be proofing ballots right now, and we’re not.”

She added: “It can be done. Is it ideal? No, it’s not. We’re already behind. We’ll get what need to get done. We’ve faced adversity before.”

Thomas McCabe, Mahoning’s elections director, said: “We’ve been preparing like it’s May 3 all along. We’re going to be OK.”

Absentee ballots for Ohioans overseas and in the military must be ready by March 18.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose had asked the U.S. Department of Defense for a waiver to have the ballots be ready by April 5, the first day of early voting. But on Friday, the DOD denied the request so those ballots must be prepared by March 18.

Read more in Monday’s Vindicator.