The date of next year’s primary conflicts with a major religious holiday, and some state lawmakers have taken notice.
The 2024 Pennsylvania primary is set for April 23. It conflicts with the Jewish holiday of Passover and takes place after many states already would have voted for a presidential nominee for the major parties — giving Harrisburg lawmakers another reason to want to change the date.
State Sens. David Argall, R-Schuylkill, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, introduced such legislation in the Senate this year. The bill would shift the state’s primary from the fourth Thursday in April to the third Tuesday in March in presidential years.
“In most presidential elections, the outcome is largely decided before our voters have a chance to cast their vote,” Argall and Street wrote in a memo to the Senate.
State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, co-chair of the state’s Jewish legislative caucus, said the topic of moving the presidential primary arises often, but 2024 has the additional factor of Passover. He said members of his caucus met with Acting Secretary of State Al Schmidt to talk about the conflict.
“(Schmidt) seemed to be very open to the idea of moving it,” Frankel said.
Passover is observed for eight days. During its first two and last two days, traditionally observant Jews refrain from activities such as driving and working. Having the primary day on Passover would not only impact Jewish voters, but also Jewish pollworkers, Frankel said. He said he would support moving the 2024 primary date so it doesn’t conflict with Passover.
“The governor supports moving the 2024 primary to ensure that observers of Passover have every opportunity to exercise their right to vote and looks forward to working with the General Assembly to change the date,” Manuel Bonder, spokesperson for Gov. Josh Shapiro, said in a statement.
Pennsylvania is one of the most populous states in the country, “and by the time the presidential primary gets to us, the decision has already been made,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Hempfield.
Ward said she is in favor of moving up the primary date, adding the effort is bipartisian.
“The benefit is we will matter … our vote will count,” she said.
While Ward said she would support a much earlier primary, she noted candidates start collecting ballot petition signatures 13 weeks before it, and a late March date would have campaign workers gathering signatures during Christmastime.
The proposed date to which the primary could be moved is yet to be determined. The date can be changed only through state legislation.
Ward said she would hope to have the Legislature pass the bill in early June.
