Changing Eliminating Presidential Primaries

Presidential Primaries

Updated May 12, 2005

In the face of budget woes in 2004, eleven states considered eliminating their presidential primaries to save money. Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota, and Washington passed measures eliminating their presidential primaries. New Mexico passed a bill allowing the two major parties to hold a convention instead of a primary; both parties elected to do so. The Arizona legislature also passed a presidential primary elimination bill, but the governor vetoed it. In all of these states except Utah, the parties caucuses held to nominate candidates. In Utah, the Democratic Party held a primary at its own expense on February 24.

Fifteen states are consided the date of their presidential primary in 2003 and 2004. Just six states passed bills - Delaware, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

2003 Bills Eliminating Presidential Primaries

The following bills would cancel presidential primaries. Because in most states it is proposed as a cost-saving measure, the estimated savings generated by cancellation of the presidential primary is listed when available.

Table 1: Eliminating Presidential Primaries
State	Bill Number	Status	Comment
Arizona	SB 1012	Vetoed	Estimated savings $3.9 million
Colorado	SB 188	Passed	Estimated savings $2.2 million
Indiana	HB 1214	Failed
Kansas	SB 101	Failed	Cancels only in 2004; estimated savings $1.75 million
Kansas	SB 102	Passed	Cancels only in 2004, estimated savings $22,600
Maine	LD 100	Passed	Estimated savings $22,600
Michigan	SB 396	Failed	Cancels only in 2004; estimated savings $7 million
Michigan	SB 397	Passed	Cancels only in 2004; estimated savings $7 million
Michigan	HB 4602	Failed	Cancels only in 2004; estimated savings $7 million
Missouri	HB 387	Failed	Estimated savings $3.7 million
Missouri	SB 531	Failed	Estimated savings $3.7 million
New Mexico	HB 1039	Passed	Makes primary optional
North Dakota	SB 2288	Passed
Utah	HB 342	Passed	Unless legislature appropriates funds in 2004, presidential primary will be cancelled
Washington	HB 2297	Passed	Cancels only in 2004; estimated savings $6 million.

2003 Bills Changing Presidential Primary Dates

The following bills would change the date of presidential primaries:

Table 2: Changing the Dates of Presidential Primaries
State	Bill Number	Current Date	Proposed Date	Status
Alabama	HB 80	1^st Tuesday in June	1^st Tuesday after 1^st Monday in March	Failed
Delaware	SB 54	Saturday after NH primary	1^st Tuesday in February	Passed
Louisiana	HB 1620	2^nd Tuesday in March	1^st Saturday in February	Failed
Maryland	SB 747	1^st Tuesday in March	2^nd Tuesday in February	Failed
Montana	HB 651	Tuesday after 1^st Monday in June	A date in February or March to be selected by the Secretary of State	Failed
New Jersey	AB 1333	Tuesday after 1^st Monday in June	1^st Tuesday in March (for 2004 only)	Failed
New Jersey	A 2019	1^st Tuesday after 1^st Monday in June	Last Tuesday in February	Failed
New Jersey	S 1747	Tuesday after 1^st Monday in June	1^st Tuesday in March	Failed
New Jersey	S 2132	1^st Tuesday after 1^st Monday in June	1^st Tuesday in March	Failed
Ohio	HB 90	1^st Tuesday after 1^st Monday in March	1^st Tuesday after 1^st Monday in May	Failed
Oklahoma	HB 1446	2^nd Tuesday in March	1^st Tuesday after NH primary	Failed
Oklahoma	SB 3	2^nd Tuesday in March	1^st Tuesday after NH primary	Passed
Pennsylvania	HB 2098	4^th Tuesday in April	3^rd Tuesday in March	Failed
Pennsylvania	SB 937	4^th Tuesday in April	2^nd Tuesday in March	Failed
Tennessee	HB 2092	2^nd Tuesday in March	2^nd Tuesday in February	Failed
Tennessee	HB 432	2^nd Tuesday in March	2^nd Tuesday in February	Passed
Texas	HB 2496	2^nd Tuesday in March	1^st Tuesday in March	Passed
Utah	HB 342	1^st Friday after 1^st Monday in March	Last Friday in February	Passed (see comments in Table 1)
Virginia	HB 2568	Last Tuesday in February	2^nd Tuesday in February	Passed
Virginia	SB 959	Last Tuesday in February	2^nd Tuesday in February	Passed
West Virginia	HB 2009	2^nd Tuesday in May	Date of the earliest primary in any other state	Failed
Wisconsin	AB 112	1^st Tuesday in April	3^rd Tuesday in February	Passed
Wisconsin	SB 59	1^st Tuesday in April	3^rd Tuesday in February	Failed

Recent Years

In 2001 and 2002, 26 bills introduced in fourteen states proposed changing the date of the presidential primary. Just one of these bills passed-in 2002, Kentucky passed HB 31 (2002 Ky. Acts, Chap. 262), moving their primary up by one week. Under previous law, the primary was held on the first Tuesday after the fourth Monday in May; now it will be held on the first Tuesday after the third Monday in May.

For more information please contact Jennie Drage Bowser mailto:elections-info@ncsl.org?subject=[primaries].