Pennsylvania Lawmakers Seek Earlier Date for 2024 Primary

"I Voted" stickers on a table during the Pennsylvania primary at St. Thomas United Church of Christ in Harrisburg on May 17, 2022. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

State lawmakers in Pennsylvania have introduced proposals to bump the state’s 2024 presidential primary to an earlier date.

Democrat state Rep. Scott Conklin, the majority chair of the House State Government Committee, said he plans to give committee consideration to two measures, one in the state Senate (pdf) and another in the House (pdf), that would change the presidential primary date to either March 26 or April 2, respectively, from the current April 23.

Pennsylvania was one of several key battleground states in the 2020 presidential election, along with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan. As the schedule stands, moving the primary date would mean that more than two-thirds of states will still have held a primary or caucus by the time Pennsylvanians go to the polls.

“The democratic process is one of the cornerstones of our nation, and it’s our duty to ensure that the voices of all Pennsylvanians are heard,” Mr. Conklin said. “I am pleased to support the Kenyatta bill, which thoughtfully moves the presidential primary to April 2. This not only gives Pennsylvanians a greater voice in national politics but also starts the petition process on January 2, after the holiday season, allowing for a more family-friendly and inclusive timeline.”

Democrat state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who is sponsoring the legislation in the House, said he “hoped the idea would garner bipartisan buy-in, and I’m happy that is the case.”

The plan to reschedule gained bipartisan support from a powerful Republican, with Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward stating earlier this year that “it would make Pennsylvania matter in the presidential election.

“Right now, by the time the primary gets to Pennsylvania, it’s already been decided by other states.”

Longtime Goal

Efforts to move the primary date have been in the works for several years, with lawmakers voting in 2021 to approve a bill to move up the primary by five weeks to the third Tuesday in March. The measure eventually died before making it to the governor’s desk.

The previous legislation would have put the primary on the same day as the Arizona, Florida, and Illinois primaries.

Supporters of measures to move the primary to earlier in the year assert that the clout of the primary season is typically diminished by the fourth Tuesday in April, which is Pennsylvania’s current voting date.

The 2024 presidential election is expected to be a contentious one, potentially featuring the same main candidates as the 2020 presidential election with President Joe Biden likely representing the Democrats and former President Donald Trump currently holding the top spot among Republican contenders for the GOP nomination.

“Pennsylvania is a critical battleground nationally, and we deserve to be heard earlier in the process,” Mr. Kenyatta said. “We also need to be respectful of the Passover holiday. My proposed date of April 2 would put Pennsylvania’s elections on the same date as Wisconsin—another battleground—and our regional neighbors of Delaware and New York. I look forward to working with Senate sponsors to get this done.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.