PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The push to move up Pennsylvania’s 2024 presidential primary election took a big step in the state legislature Wednesday.
The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill that would move next year’s primary to March 19. Under current law, Pennsylvania holds its primary on the fourth Tuesday in April, when the presidential primary outcome is typically already determined.
Senate president pro tempore Kim Ward says Pennsylvania’s electoral votes are often the deciding factor in presidential elections.
“But in the beginning, when we're nominating candidates, our voices are muted,” Ward said. “Our primary is so late, that so many other states have already voted.”
“Here, we are the fifth most registered voters in the country … this bill gives Pennsylvania citizens a voice.”
The change would only apply to primaries in presidential years.
Moving the primary to March 19 would put Pennsylvania’s primary on the same day as other major election states like Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio.
The bill, which easily cleared the State Senate 45-2, is moving to the State House, where a similar bill proposes moving the primary to April 2.
In late July, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt sent Ward a letter saying while Gov. Josh Shapiro supports the move, it needs to be done as soon as possible. Schmidt says there are more than 9,000 polling places across the state, and county elections officials will need to make sure there aren’t any conflicts in booking those locations. He adds schools will need to adjust academic calendars.