Presidential Primary In Pennsylvania May Be Earlier Than Usual

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania legislators are considering multiple proposals to move the state’s 2024 presidential primary to an earlier date, according to reports.

A plan to change the primary from April 23 to March 19 advanced through a state Senate committee Wednesday, according to the Associated Press, which reported a House bill to move the date to April 2 has also been put forward.

The presidential primary is currently set for the fourth Tuesday in April, but that date in 2024 falls on the first day of the Jewish celebration of Passover, the wire service reported. Moving Election Day to April 2 would put it two days after Easter, which could be a challenge for polling places in churches, while holding it March 19 would see the 13-week primary season start in the midst of the winter holidays, according to the Associated Press.

“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,” Secretary of State Al Schmidt wrote in a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Even if one of the proposed new dates is approved, Pennsylvania’s election would still come after Super Tuesday on March 5, according to the Associated Press, which noted the state hasn’t had a competitive presidential primary since Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama in 2008.

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, who proposed moving the election to April 2, told the Inquirer he’d like to see Pennsylvania take on a more prominent role in the primaries.

“That gives us an opportunity to be more central on where presidential campaigns decide to deploy resources and give Pennsylvanians the chance to decide and engage in the process,” he told the newspaper.