Earlier Primary Would Boost Pennsylvania Voters’ Role
PA state senators & county election officials make the case for moving the primary date
Electoral votes declared by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have played a crucial role in determining the winner of the past two presidential elections. Next year’s presidential primary is scheduled for April 23rd, which comes late in the process for selecting the eventual nominees. BFA Pennsylvania held a webinar with Senators Sharif Street (D-3) and Dave Argall (R-29) to discuss a bill they have co-sponsored to move the primary date to March 19th. The senators were joined by elections officials from Monroe County to explain the change’s impact on election preparations.
Below, you will find a summary of the event from The Republican Herald from Pottsville, PA, which covers news in Schuylkill County and portions of Berks and Dauphin counties.
Argall says earlier primary would boost Pennsylvania voters role in choosing presidential nominees
By Ron Devlin, Staff Writer
Sep 11, 2023
State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., explained the rationale for changing the date of the 2024 presidential primary Monday during a panel discussion online. Argall introduced Senate Bill 224, which proposes to move the date of the primary to March 19, more than a month earlier than the current date of April 23.
Holding the presidential primary earlier than scheduled, he argued, would give Pennsylvania voters a larger say in choosing their party’s candidate for president.
“Too often, by the time the presidential primary is held in Pennsylvania, the decision has already been made,” Argall said.
Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan — key states in determining presidential candidates — all have scheduled primaries prior to Pennsylvania in 2024. The primary, during which parties choose their nominees for the November election, also falls during the Jewish holiday of Passover in 2024, Argall noted.
Business For America, which bills itself as a nonpartisan organization whose goals include restoring trust in elections, hosted a webinar Monday about moving the primary. Joining Argall were state Sen. Sharif Street, a Philadelphia Democrat, and two Monroe County officials, county Commissioner Sharon Laverdure and
Director of Elections Sara May-Silfee. The moderator was Richard Eidlin, national policy director for Business for America.
Street, who has worked across the aisle with Argall in the past, supports Argall’s bill.
“We want Pennsylvania voters to be more relevant,” he said. “We want Pennsylvania to have a greater say in who becomes president.” Street and Argall agreed that the proposed legislation would affect only the 2024 primary. Other legislation would be required for future changes.
While recognizing that holding the primary more than a month earlier can cause logistical problems for counties, both senators said they would consider a move for the state to bear some of the additional expense. Argall also said that there is some wiggle room around the date of March 19, but emphasized that the primary will still be held on a Tuesday. “There’s one thing that we’ve heard from the county commissioners: If you’re going to do it, do it soon,” Argall said.
Argall and Street are confident the measure will come before the Senate for a vote soon after it reconvenes on Monday. The bill advanced out of the State Government Committee, with unanimous support, on Aug. 30, Argall said previously.
May-Silfee foresees problems in securing election polling places and poll workers should the primary be changed.
She suggested April 9, which would move the primary up two weeks instead of a month, would be more manageable for Monroe County. Albert L. Gricoski, Schuylkill County director of elections, is taking a wait-and-see view.
“Right now,” he said Monday, “nothing is concrete.”
