AUGUSTA, Maine (WGAN) Maine Governor Janet Mills signed an executive order Friday that moves the state’s primary election to July 14th.

Earlier this week, the governor said she didn’t believe it would be possible to safely hold the primary on it’s original date, Tuesday June 9th, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Mills says in-person interaction at the polls could be a public health danger if the election is held in June.

The order is designed to give the Secretary of State’s Office time to work on rules to safely implement in-person voting the day of the election.

The order will allow applications for absentee ballots to be made in writing or in person, without specifying a reason, up to and including the day of the election. It also extends the deadline for qualifying contributions under the Maine Clean Election Act to May 19th.

Mills issued a statement on Friday:

“A person’s right to vote is the foundation of our democracy, and I take seriously government’s responsibility to ensure that every Maine person has the opportunity to havetheir voice heard and to do so in a way that protects their health and safety during this unprecedented pandemic. This postponement will provide Maine people with more time to request an absentee ballot and will allow the Secretary of State’s Office to work with municipalities to ensure that in-person voting can be done in as safe a way aspossible. I recognize the ramifications this has both for voters and those running for office this year, and I appreciate their flexibility as we work to protect our elections and the health of our people.”