Pennsylvania is a prime-time player when it comes to presidential elections.
As one of the true swing states in the nation, making an impression on the state’s voters is a vital part of any candidate’s campaign. Doing well here can be the difference between ending up in the White House or suffering defeat.
That’s why presidential candidates make frequent stops in Pennsylvania leading up to a general election. They visit cities and towns and factories and schools. They hold rallies here, they give speeches and shake hands and kiss babies.
But when it comes to picking those candidates, Pennsylvania is typically an afterthought. That is, if it’s even thought of at all.
Time and time again, voters in Pennsylvania have watched from the sidelines as the field of candidates is whittled down through the presidential nomination process. As a state with a late primary election, it’s not a place on the radar of those vying to be picked as the Republican or Democratic nominee.
But that could soon change.
The state holds its presidential primary on the fourth Tuesday in April, a date set by state law. Next year, that would be April 23.
That is more than three months after the Iowa caucuses and seven weeks from Super Tuesday, when voters in 15 states will cast ballots. In fact, Pennsylvania is near the end of the line when it comes to primary voting.
By the time Pennsylvanians head to the polls two-thirds of delegates already will have been assigned. That typically means races are all but over before the state’s voters get a chance to have their voices heard about who they want as a candidate for the general election.
That might not be the case in 2024, however. Or ever again.
Legislation being considered in Harrisburg would move up the state’s presidential primary, placing it earlier in the election season and giving it a newfound relevance.
Bills are being considered in the House and Senate, and discussions are underway to move the presidential primary to as early as March 19. Some legislators have floated less drastic moves, shifting it to April 16.
The debate over moving the presidential primary isn’t a new one in Pennsylvania. It pops up nearly every four years.
So far, it hasn’t gained enough traction to actually happen. But this year could be different.
More lawmakers are motivated to support the change now because April 23 — set to be primary election day — is the first day of Passover. Traditional Jewish law prohibits regular activities such as driving, working and using electricity on the holiday.
The effort has received the endorsement of Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has stated his desire to change the primary date to make Pennsylvania more relevant and avoid a conflict with Passover.
It’s unclear if there’s enough momentum for a change to make it over the finish line this time around. But election officials are hoping lawmakers make up their minds quickly.
Behind the effort
One of the main proponents of moving the primary is a familiar face to many Berks County residents.
Sen. David Argall, a Republican from Schuylkill County who used to represent part of the county, has proposed legislation that would move the primary date to March 19. That would set it on the same day as contests in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Arizona.
“We are the fifth-largest state in the nation — it only makes sense that we should have more of a say during the primary process,” he said. “There is broad bipartisan support for this in both chambers, so I think we might be able to finally get this done.”
The legislation was approved by the Senate State Government Committee last week, and he believes it could be up for a vote in the Senate this month. The House would then have to give its approval before moving onto the governor for his signature.
The effort has the support of Rep. Mark Gillen. The Robeson Township Republican signed on as a supporter of a companion bill in the House.
“Being earlier in the presidential nomination process will give us more relevance,” he said when asked why he’s backing the proposal. “I think the notion that having primary candidates campaign in Pennsylvania is a positive for us — regardless of which side of the aisle you sit on. It gives us a chance to hear from them, perhaps even meet them.”
But not everyone is pleased with the proposal.
Moving the primary to March 19 would mean candidates vying for offices in all levels of government can start gathering signatures on nominating petitions the day after Christmas. Some legislators have balked at starting campaigns in the middle of the holiday season.
As a compromise, legislation has been introduced that would move the primary to April 2. That would allow candidates to start circulating nominating petitions after New Year’s Day.
Argall acknowledged that campaigns crossing into the holidays is a drawback and that the timing of everything is a wrinkle that still needs to be ironed out.
“But I think that is offset by Pennsylvania having a larger voice in the selection process,” he said.
Sen. Judy Schwank is flexible when it comes to the date. The Ruscombmanor Township Democrat said she would prefer the primary election be held March 26 so candidates could begin circulating petitions after the holidays.
While the exact date may not be settled, Schwank said there is no question that it should be moved.
“As it stands now, the primary would fall on the first full day of the Jewish holiday of Passover,” she said. “It would mean that observant Jews would not be able to go to their polling place or serve as election workers.”
It would also mean county election officials would have to find an alternate polling location for Wyomissing voters who cast ballots at Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom.
Schwank said the move would give Pennsylvania primary voters a say in who gets nominated.
“By the time Pennsylvania votes in late April, we are essentially irrelevant in terms of who the candidates will be,” she said. “And that often means that we don’t get primary candidates to come to the commonwealth to speak to the voters.”
No time to waste
The one thing nearly all legislators agree on is that a decision must be made soon.
Secretary of State Al Schmidt, who oversees elections, has said he’s worried counties won’t have enough time to prepare thousands of polling locations for the next primary election if lawmakers wait too long to change the date.
In a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, he urged state lawmakers to come to a consensus as soon as possible.
“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,” Schmidt wrote. “Typically, county election boards reserve polling locations and poll workers a year or more in advance of an election to avoid conflicts with other events and to have ample time to inform voters of where they will cast their votes.”
Local election officials echoed that sentiment.
Berks County Election Services Assistant Director Stephanie Weaver said she recently attended a statewide conference for election officials, where the resounding message was that they will accommodate whatever decision lawmakers make but that they need to know now so they can start preparing.
“There are a lot of preparations that go into any election cycle, but especially for presidential elections,” she said. “These primaries are already earlier than others so it already shortens some of the time frames. But this would make it even tighter.”
Weaver said they need to know sooner than later so they can start those preparations.
“We are ready to do whatever they ask us to do, but it will shorten some timelines and move other deadlines up that we will have to look to the state for guidance on,” she said. “There are just a lot of logistics that need to be ironed out.”
Giving voters more say
Local political experts say moving the primary would shift the state into the spotlight when it comes to selecting presidential nominees.
Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Allentown, said that due to Pennsylvania’s historically late date for primaries, the state doesn’t receive the attention than its size and political standing warrant.
“We play a very limited role in presidential primary politics despite being one of the premier swing states in the country,” he said. “And the juxtaposition of where we stand in a general election versus where we stand in a primary election is incredibly stark.”
Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, agreed. He said Pennsylvanians deserve to have a say in picking nominees because the state is one of about five that typically end up deciding the general election.
But the state seldom has anything to do with the selection process.
“Pennsylvania really hasn’t played a role in a presidential primary in a long time,” Yost said. “Some people point to 2008 when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were competing for the Democratic nomination, but she won the state and it didn’t derail the Obama campaign.
“I think, for those of us who are interested in politics, I think it would be great if we played a larger role in the candidate selection process. And the date matters. If we move to March 19 we have a real chance to play a role while the field is still being determined. But if we wait until April that’s not going to make a difference.”
Borick shared a similar sentiment.
“You could get lucky and still have a race still alive in April, but the probability is lower than it would be if we moved the election to March,” he said.
Borick and Yost said they’ve been following Pennsylvania politics long enough to know this effort has gained momentum before only to fizzle out.
“I think if Pennsylvania really wants to play a role in helping to shape the field that March 19 is the day to shoot for,” Yost said. “But, frankly, I’m not very optimistic that will happen. If you have been following Pennsylvania politics long enough, you know this is a conversation that happens every four years. And it hasn’t happened yet.”
But they also said it may be an idea that’s time has finally come.
“This is a chance for legislators to unite in a common interest of elevating Pennsylvania’s standing,” Borick said. “I think the reality is that there’s recognition that if we really want to matter this is something that has to be done.”
Borick said he thinks it would be fascinating to see what a primary campaign would like in Pennsylvania. Assuming the races are still competitive, he said it would likely look much different than a general election.
“The candidates in a general election tend to focus on swing voters, but since independent voters can’t participate in a primary they might be traveling to places with smaller concentrations of Republicans or Democrats,” he said. “For instance, imagine you have a progressive Democrat versus a centrist Democrat and how that might play out.”
Source: Berkshire mont