New Hampshire Republicans seek earlier state primary

(The Center Square) – New Hampshire is known for its “first-in-the-nation” presidential primary, but the separate state primary for every other race is actually one of the last in the country.

The state primary date, which has been held on the second Tuesday in September since 1910, is last in the nation following Rhode Island, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Critics say the late primary favors incumbents because it gives challengers who win their party’s nomination little time to prepare for the general election.

Republican lawmakers are proposing to move up the state’s primary day, which they say will boost voter turnout and provide a more even playing field for challengers.

Last week, the House Election Law committee held livestreamed public hearings on several proposals that would move the state primary date up beginning with this year’s fall elections.

House Bill 98, filed by Rep. Joe Alexander, R-Goffstown, would set the date as the second Tuesday in June.

Alexander said the proposal, which has bipartisan support, would “make the process more democratic” by giving candidates more time to campaign ahead of the general election and voters more time to mull over their positions on key issues.

“To have such drastic difference between the time spent on elections deprives general election voters of a fully fleshed out and nuanced campaign,” he told the committee.

House Bill 97, filed by Rep. Ralph Boehm, R-Litchfield, would change the date to the second Tuesday in August. He said the late primary bumps up against federal requirements to mail absentee and overseas ballots, which must be sent at least 45 days before a federal election.

“Depending on the calendar, we are desperately close to the federal limit,” Boehm told committee members. “Luckily in the last two elections we haven’t needed a recount. If so, we would have had a problem.”

At least 16 other states – including Connecticut, Vermont and Florida – hold their state primaries in August, he said.

Boehm criticized proposals to move the state primary earlier up in the election calendar, which he said would create another set of problems.

“Moving it to June would create a five-month election cycle,” he told the committee. “This will only make elections more expensive for candidates and make it easier for only the rich to win.”

Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who oversees the state’s elections, has opposed previous efforts to move the state primary date up in the calendar.

During the Election Committee hearing, Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan, didn’t take a position on the bills but said the late primary hasn’t been an issue for elections officials.

“We have had no problems getting absentee ballots out to the voters in time for them to be able to vote in the general election,” he told the committee. “We meet the 45-day deadline, with very few exceptions.”

Scanlan cautioned that moving the state primary date too far from the general election could dampen voter turnout.

“Families are generally in vacation mode in August, and a lot of people take time off from work,” he said. “States that have moved their primaries to August have seen turnout drop.”

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