Hogan Signature Sends Maryland Presidential Primary to April 26

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) is set to sign SB 204 among a host of other bills in a signing session today, May 12.

SB 204 shifts the presidential primary in Maryland from the first Tuesday in April to the fourth Tuesday in April. It was one of two identical bills that passed the legislature in the Old Line state during the 2015 legislative session. Originally, both bills sought to move the primary back just one week to the second week in April to accommodate an early vote period that would not conflict with spring religious holidays. The additional two weeks the primary will be moved back will align the Maryland presidential primary with presidential primary votes in neighboring Delaware and Pennsylvania as well. Connecticut and Rhode Island also have presidential primaries scheduled for that date on the presidential primary calendar.

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The national party rules on delegate selection have changed for 2016 -- shrinking the Republican proportionality window to the first two weeks of March -- but Maryland Republicans, regardless of the change, will be able to maintain their traditional winner-take-most method of delegate allocation during this cycle.

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