Ohio Senate Votes in Favor of Shifting Presidential Primary to May

The Ohio state Senate on Thursday, June 23 passed HB 194 by a party line 23-10 vote after a spirited debate in the upper chamber over the particulars of the omnibus elections bill. Democrats were on the outside looking in on a bill some of them accused Republicans of having "stacked the deck for 2012" (shortening the early voting and mail-in absentee voting windows). Republicans sponsors of the bill countered that the bill was not partisan so much as it added uniformity to the process in counties across the Buckeye state.

Less controversial was the provision within the bill to move the state's presidential primary from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May. Other than the introductory comments about the bill, the presidential primary date change was not even mentioned during the discussion and amendment process.

Given that the bill was amended in committee, it will now head back to the House before likely moving on to the governor.

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Ohio Senate Committee Passes May Presidential Primary Legislation

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Rhode Island House Unanimously Passes Amended Senate Primary Bill

After passing HB 5653, the Rhode Island state House quickly followed that by unanimously passing the state Senate's presidential primary bill, SB 399, as well. Both bills were amended in the Judiciary Committee on the House side to shift the Ocean state's presidential primary back to late April and had some trivial corrections added on the floor. The Senate-passed version, now amended and identical to the House bill, returns to the Senate to be reconsidered.

The Senate has just under a week to complete consideration of the bills before the Rhode Island legislature adjourns next week as the month ends.

Recent Posts:

Rhode Island House Passes Bill to Move Presidential Primary to April

Ohio Senate Committee Passes May Presidential Primary Legislation

The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (6/22/11)

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Rhode Island House Passes Bill to Move Presidential Primary to April

By a 71-1 vote on Thursday afternoon, the Rhode Island state House unanimously passed an amended version of HB 5653. The bill would move the Ocean state's presidential primary from the first Tuesday in March to the fourth Tuesday in April. This moves Rhode Island one step closer to a proposed regional primary that would include Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania.

The bill will now move on to the Rhode Island state Senate for consideration in the upper chamber.

Recent Posts:

Ohio Senate Committee Passes May Presidential Primary Legislation

The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (6/22/11)

In Florida, Some Chatter Behind the Idea of a Thursday Presidential Primary

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Ohio Senate Committee Passes May Presidential Primary Legislation

On Wednesday, June 22, the Ohio Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee on a party line vote favorably reported HB 194. The six Republicans on the panel voted in favor of the omnibus elections legislation while the three Democrats opposed the measure. The most contentious portion of the discussion seems to have centered on a photo ID requirement the committee added on Tuesday then removed on Wednesday:

A Senate committee inserted a change to the election bill Tuesday that would have required voters to show a photo ID before they could cast a ballot in person. The Republican-controlled panel dropped the changes Wednesday after the state's GOP election chief joined Democrats and the League of Women Voters of Ohio in opposing the measure.

Secretary of State Jon Husted said he was against it because it didn't give voters other ways to identify themselves, such as with their full Social Security numbers. Democrats argue the photo ID requirement would disenfranchise minorities and poorer Ohioans who tend to favor their party.

However, the provision to shift the Buckeye state presidential primary back from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May (among others) remained in the bill. HB 194 could receive a vote before the full state Senate today. It is the first bill on the upper chamber's agenda for today.

Assuming the bill is passed and signed into law, the presidential primary in Ohio would coincide with the primaries in neighboring Indiana and West Virginia as well as the primary in North Carolina.

Recent Posts:

The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (6/22/11)

In Florida, Some Chatter Behind the Idea of a Thursday Presidential Primary

Ohio Secretary of State Supports May Presidential Primary

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The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (6/22/11)

Alabama's new presidential primary date means an update of the 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar is in order:

[Click to Enlarge]

Reading the Map:

As was the case with the maps from past cycles, the earlier a contest is scheduled in 2012, the darker the color in which the state is shaded. Iowa, for instance, is a much deeper shade of blue in January than South Dakota is in June. There are, however, some differences between the earlier maps and the one that appears above.

1. Several caucus states have yet to select a date for the first step of their delegate selection processes in 2012. Until a decision is made by state parties in those states, they will appear in gray on the map.
2. The states where legislation to move the presidential primary is active are two-toned. One color indicates the timing of the primary according to the current law whereas the second color is meant to highlight the most likely month to which the primary could be moved. [With the exception of North Carolina, the proposed movement is backward.]
3. Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina are shaded on the map according to the latest possible date these states would have if Florida opts not to move their primary into compliance with the national party rules. Iowa Republicans and Nevada Republicans and Democrats have decided to accept the party-designated dates, but FHQ operates under the assumption that both will move to a point ahead of the earliest exempt state should one or more move or maintain a February or earlier date.
4. States that are bisected vertically are states where the state parties have different dates for their caucuses and/or primaries. The left hand section is shaded to reflect the state Democratic Party's scheduling while the right is for the state Republican Party's decision on the timing of its delegate selection event.

Reading the Calendar:

1. Caucus states are italicized while primary states are not. Several caucus states are missing from the list because they have not formalized the date on which their contests will be held in 2012. Colorado appears because the caucuses dates there are set by the state, whereas a state like Alaska has caucuses run by the state parties and as such do not have their dates codified in state law.
2. States that have changed dates appear twice (or more) on the calendar; once by the old date and once by the new date. The old date will be struck through while the new date will be color-coded with the amount of movement (in days) in parentheses. States in green are states that have moved to earlier dates on the calendar and states in red are those that have moved to later dates. Arkansas, for example, has moved its 2012 primary and moved it back 105 days from its 2008 position.
3. The date of any primary or caucus moves that have taken place -- whether through gubernatorial signature or state party move -- also appear in parentheses following the state's/party's new entry on the calendar.
4. States with active legislation have links to those bills included with their entries on the calendar. If there are multiple bills they are divided by chamber and/or numbered accordingly.
5. Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina appear twice. The earlier entry corresponds with the latest possible date these states would have if Florida opts not to move their primary into compliance with the national party rules. The second, later entry for each of the non-exempt states reflects the position the national parties would prefer the earliest states to hold their delegate selection events.

2012 Presidential Primary Calendar

December 2011

Monday, December 5:

Iowa caucuses¹

Tuesday, December 13:

New Hampshire¹

Saturday, December 17:

Nevada caucuses¹

South Carolina¹

A note on the placement of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

An additional note on WHY ON EARTH Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina are placed in December.

January 2012

Tuesday, January 31:

Florida (bills: House 1, 2/Senate) (moved to no date: 5/19/11)

February 2012

Monday, February 6:

Iowa caucuses (moved: 2/8/11) (based on national party rules)

Tuesday, February 7 (Super Tuesday):

Alabama

Arkansas

California (bills: Assembly)

Connecticut (bills: House)

Delaware (bills: Senate)

Georgia (bills: House) (moved to no date: 5/13/11)

Illinois

Minnesota caucuses (+28) (bills: House/Senate) (moved: 3/1/11)

Missouri (bills: House 1, 2, 3/Senate)

Montana Republican caucuses

New Jersey (bills: Assembly 1, 2/Senate 1, 2)

New York (bills: Assembly/Senate)

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Utah

Saturday, February 11:

Louisiana (bills: House)

Tuesday, February 14:

Maryland

New Hampshire (based on national party rules)

Virginia

Washington, DC

Saturday, February 18:

Nevada Republican caucuses (-28) (moved: 12/16/10) (based on national party rules)

Nevada Democratic caucuses² (-28) (moved: 2/24/11) (based on national party rules)

Tuesday, February 21:

Hawaii Republican caucuses (+88) (moved: 5/16/09)

Wisconsin (bills: Assembly, Senate)

Tuesday, February 28:

Arizona³

Michigan⁴ (bills: House)

South Carolina (based on national party rules)

March 2012

Tuesday, March 6:

Colorado caucuses (+14) (bills: House) (moved: 5/27/11)

Massachusetts⁴ (bills: House)

Ohio (bills: House)

Oklahoma (-28) (bills: House 1, 2, 3/Senate 1, 2) (moved: 5/3/11)

Rhode Island (bills: House/Senate)

Tennessee (-28) (bills: House 1, 2, 3/Senate 1, 2, 3) (moved: 5/9/11)

Texas (bills: House/Senate)

Vermont

Virginia (-21) (bills: House 1, 2/Senate) (moved: 3/25/11)

Sunday, March 11:

Maine Democratic caucuses (-28) (moved: 3/27/11)

Tuesday, March 13:

Alabama (-35) (bills: House 1, 2) (moved: 6/9/11)

Hawaii Republican caucuses (+67 and -21) (moved: 5/14/11)

Mississippi

Utah Democratic caucuses (-35) (moved: 3/25/11)

Tuesday, March 20:

Colorado caucuses

Illinois (-42) (bills: Senate) (moved: 3/17/10)

April 2012

Tuesday, April 3:

Kansas (bills: House 1, 2/Senate -- cancel primary) (canceled: 5/25/11)

Maryland (-49) (bills: House/Senate 1, 2) (moved: 5/10/11)

Washington, DC (-49) (bills: Council) (moved: 4/27/11)

Saturday, April 7:

Hawaii Democratic caucuses (-46) (moved: 3/18/11)

Wyoming Democratic caucuses (-28) (moved: 3/16/11)

Saturday, April 14:

Idaho Democratic caucuses (-67) (moved: 5/1/11)

Kansas Democratic caucuses (-67) (moved: 5/24/11)

Nebraska Democratic caucuses (-63) (moved: 3/5/11)

Sunday, April 15:

Alaska Democratic caucuses (-68) (moved: 4/4/11)

Washington Democratic caucuses (-64) (moved: 4/30/11)

Tuesday, April 24:

Pennsylvania

May 2012

Saturday, May 5:

Michigan Democratic caucuses (-67) (moved: 4/13/11)

Tuesday, May 8:

Indiana

North Carolina (bills: Senate)

West Virginia

Tuesday, May 15:

Idaho (+7) (bills: House) (moved: 2/23/11)

Nebraska

Oregon (bills: House)

Tuesday, May 22:

Arkansas (-105) (bills: House) (moved: 2/4/09)

Idaho

Kentucky (bills: House) (died: legislature adjourned)

Washington (bills: House 1, 2/Senate -- cancel primary) (canceled: 5/12/11)

June 2012

Tuesday, June 5:

Montana (GOP -119) (moved: 6/18/10)

New Mexico⁵ (bills: Senate) (died: legislature adjourned)

North Dakota Democratic caucuses (-119) (moved: 4/21/11)

South Dakota

Tuesday, June 26:

Utah (Republicans only) (-140) (moved: 6/5/11)

¹ New Hampshire law calls for the Granite state to hold a primary on the second Tuesday of March or seven days prior to any other similar election, whichever is earlier. Florida is first now, so New Hampshire would be a week earlier at the latest. Traditionally, Iowa has gone on the Monday a week prior to New Hampshire. For the time being we'll wedge South Carolina in on the Saturday between New Hampshire and Florida, but these are just guesses at the moment. Any rogue states could cause a shift.

² The Nevada Democratic caucuses date is based on both DNC rules and the state party's draft delegate selection plan as of February 24, 2011.

³ In Arizona the governor can use his or her proclamation powers to move the state's primary to a date on which the event would have an impact on the nomination. In 2004 and 2008 the primary was moved to the first Tuesday in February.
⁴ Massachusetts and Michigan are the only states that passed a frontloading bill prior to 2008 that was not permanent. The Bay state reverts to its first Tuesday in March date in 2012 while Michigan will fall back to the fourth Tuesday in February.
⁵ The law in New Mexico allows the parties to decide when to hold their nominating contests. The Democrats have gone in early February in the last two cycles, but the GOP has held steady in June. They have the option of moving however.

Recent Posts:

In Florida, Some Chatter Behind the Idea of a Thursday Presidential Primary

Ohio Secretary of State Supports May Presidential Primary

Rhode Island House Committee Amends House and Senate Elections Bills to Move Presidential Primary to April

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