Regional Primary Would Fix Absurd System (Rep. Alcee Hastings)

Today’s presidential primary system is broken. There is no one state in this country that is more important than the next, and the thought that New Hampshire and Iowa are guaranteed to go first is as outdated as it is absurd.

For years, Florida has been forced to hold its presidential primary at the end of the pack and well-beyond the date when both the Republican and Democratic candidates have been known.

Florida’s state legislature voted earlier this year and the Governor signed into law legislation moving Florida’s primary to January 29. What has ensued has been an exercise absurdity and antagonism.

Both the Democratic and Republican national parties are now threatening to prohibit Florida’s delegates from participating in their conventions and national nominating process. In doing so, they are running the grave risk of again disenfranchising millions of Florida voters who want nothing more than to have their votes matter when the two parties select their respective presidential nominees.

While my views and opposition to the national party’s position are well-known and documented in the press, I do not think that fanning the flames or political posturing will help bring about an equitable solution to this obvious problem. What I do think, however, is that out of this mess can and should come good sound public policy.

I recently introduced the Regional Presidential Primary and Caucus Act of 2007, legislation establishing a regional presidential primary system and ensuring that voters in every state have an equal opportunity to decide America’s Presidential candidates. I am proud to have introduced this bipartisan and bicameral legislation with Senators Joe Lieberman (CT), Amy Klobuchar (MN), and Lamar Alexander (TN). Floridians Kendrick Meek, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Kathy Castor were also cosponsors of this important bill.

Our bill establishes four geographic regions and four regional primary/caucus dates in each presidential election year. Beginning in 2012 and on a rotating basis during each presidential election year, states in one region will hold their presidential primary elections on the first Tuesday in March. States in the next region will hold their primary elections on the first Tuesday in April, states in the next region on the first Tuesday in May, and states in the final region on the first Tuesday of June. The order of regions will rotate in each of the four years, ensuring that all states have the opportunity to hold their primary election first in the cycle once every four presidential elections.

Establishing a new regional primary system by which Americans can select their presidential nominees is the future. If the national parties are blind to this reality, then Congress must open up their eyes.

Primary elections were never intended to pit one state against another. At the end of the day, all votes must be counted and all votes must actually count. The regional primary system which I and others are proposing is fair, equitable and reliable. It treats every state equally and ensures that voters from every corner of the U.S. will not be disenfranchised by an outdated primary system.