Counties in Pennsylvania have expressed their reservations about moving up the state’s 2024 presidential primary date due to the potential challenges it poses to successful election administration. The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has sent a letter to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and lawmakers, stating that there is insufficient time for counties to handle the necessary tasks associated with changing the primary date from the current one set in law, April 23. This comes after efforts by lawmakers to reschedule the primary date, partly to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday of Passover. However, the issue has become embroiled in partisan disagreements, with Senate Republicans advocating for an earlier date to give Pennsylvania more influence in determining the 2024 presidential nominees.
The county officials argue that with less than five weeks until the 2023 election, they are already focused on planning for that event and have dedicated significant time to organizing the primary election for April 23, 2024. Lisa Schaefer, the executive director of the County Commissioners Association, stated in the letter that counties can no longer guarantee the successful implementation of a primary on a different date due to the constraints of time. While Gov. Shapiro has expressed support for changing the date to avoid a clash with Passover, his administration has remained silent on the ongoing legislative dispute.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, a Republican, recently released a letter insisting that the House accept the Senate’s preferred date of March 19, rather than the House’s counterproposal of April 2. Pittman declared that the Senate considers the matter closed, indicating a lack of willingness to compromise. However, if the primary date were to be moved, counties would face numerous challenges, such as rescheduling over 9,000 polling places that are typically contracted well in advance, including schools that would need to adjust their calendars. Additionally, tens of thousands of poll workers would need to be rescheduled, many of whom had already made plans around the April 23 date.
Adding to the complexity, Pennsylvania remains a battleground state that continues to grapple with the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud. Schaefer highlighted the increasingly hostile environment faced by county elections staff, leading to unprecedented turnover. Changing the primary date at this late stage would further risk controversy and challenges to the election process and results, as any imperfections would be seized upon. Schaefer stressed that additional pressure on counties and election staff would hinder their ability to retain personnel.
Senate Republicans had initially supported a five-week shift to March 19, aiming to make Pennsylvania more relevant in the presidential nomination process for the first time since 2008. However, county election officials favored April 9 or April 16 as better options. House Democrats proposed moving the date to April 2, two days after Easter, but Senate Republicans expressed concerns about the logistical difficulties of setting up voting machines and election materials in churches that serve as polling places. House Republicans opposed any date change, citing potential disruptions to smooth administration of the primary and claims that it would favor incumbent lawmakers and limit preparation time for primary challengers.
