Pa. lawmakers want to move up the 2024 presidential primary, but still haven’t agreed on a new date
Three other states with elections scheduled during Passover already changed their dates. Not Pennsylvania.
HARRISBURG — With about seven months left until Pennsylvania voters are scheduled to cast their votes in the presidential primary election, they still don’t know when they’ll be heading to the polls.
Legislative leaders and Gov. Josh Shapiro say they support moving the presidential primary from its currently scheduled date of April 23, which falls during Passover. But they’ve been unable to agree on a new date, leaving Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in the dark as they begin preparations.
“It really isn’t an ideal situation for the voters of Pennsylvania to not have clear knowledge of when the presidential primary will be,” said Philadelphia Commissioner Lisa Deeley, a Democrat.
As of Wednesday, lawmakers were tied between two dates: March 19 or April 2. A handful of other states are already scheduled to vote on each of those dates.
State Sen. David Argall (R., Schuylkill), who sponsored the bill to move the primary and said he’s been a part of negotiations, said there’s an “excellent chance” that Pennsylvania’s primary date will be March 19. But State Sen. Sharif Street (D., Philadelphia), who cosponsored the bill and chairs the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said voters should “hold their powder.”
“The Democratic Party believes that April 2 is the best date,” Street said.
A bill to change the election to March 19 passed the Senate on Wednesday by a 45-2 vote, and a spokesperson for the Democrat-controlled House said they will review the bill.
Some legislators have long been pushing for Pennsylvania to move its primary election earlier in the calendar year, so its voters could have more influence over each party’s presidential nominee. Those efforts have strengthened in recent years, as Pennsylvania is looked upon as a critical swing state that’s key to winning a presidential election. Those in favor of moving the date say it’s important to test primary candidates’ viability here.
The three other states with elections during Passover have already changed their election dates. Maryland moved its primary election to May 14, while Rhode Island and Delaware moved theirs to April 2. Traditional Jewish law prohibits many regular activities such as driving, working, and the use of electricity during the holiday, which is observed for eight days in the United States. The scheduling of the election during Passover made some Jewish leaders feel like an afterthought, they told The Inquirer earlier this year.
Concern over planning time for candidates and election officials
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt, a longtime Republican Philadelphia city commissioner, warned in a July letter to a top Republican senator that the Senate must take quick action to give counties the time they need to prepare, including time to ensure all of the state’s more than 9,000 polling locations can be reserved for the new date.
“I am deeply concerned we will not give county election officials the time they need to adjust thousands of polling locations to accommodate a new, earlier primary date,” he wrote.
Argall said they’ve still got time to figure it out.
“We’re OK,” Argall added. “If we were having this discussion in January or February, I would be much more nervous.”
However, anyone hoping to get onto the 2024 primary ballot will need to start circulating their nominating petitions in early January, according to a bill passed out of the Senate State Government committee on Monday. If the primary is held April 2, candidates would have the usual 13-week election cycle. If the election is March 19, it would only be an 11-week election cycle to gather petitions, resolve any ballot challenges in court, and for counties to prepare for the election.
Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D., Montgomery) said during a committee meeting Monday that she opposed shortening the election cycle, because it could block candidates unable to gather the necessary signatures and withstand any challenges within the shortened timeframe.
If lawmakers fail to move the presidential primary, Jewish voters who observe Passover will still be able to vote by mail prior to the holiday.
In addition to ballot access concerns, Deeley said she’s worried that shortening the election cycle will put unnecessary stress on election officials during an already stressful time — and during a process that’s faced heavy scrutiny in recent years.
“The election workers have been put to the test every six months since 2020,” Deeley added. “Honestly it looks like there’s no end in sight, despite all the protestations of how election workers are so respected.”
The GOP-controlled Senate will need to reach an agreement with Democrats in the House. House lawmakers will return to Harrisburg next week for the first time since early July, following a special election in a left-leaning Pittsburgh district that’s expected to restore Democrats’ numeric majority in the chamber.