Uh-oh. Maybe the New Hampshire primary won’t be held Feb. 9, 2016 after all.
In recent election cycles, the nation’s first primary was held in early January, eight days after the Iowa caucuses. State officials weren’t crazy about the dates, but wanted to go first. Other states scheduled early contests, so Iowa and New Hampshire had to adjust.
So far in the 2016 cycle, it looked like Iowa and New Hampshire could stick to Feb. 1 for the Iowa caucuses, Feb. 9 for New Hampshire.
Now comes word from Frontloading HQ and the New Hampshire Journal that Vermont may want a piece of the early action.
“State Senator Anthony Pollina introduced S 76 to not only schedule the Vermont presidential primary for the same date as the New Hampshire primary, but to also leave that date setting power to the Vermont secretary of state,” reported Frontloading HQ. “This would not only tether the Vermont primary to its counterpart in neighboring New Hampshire, but it also mimics the New Hampshire presidential primary law to some degree by ceding the date-setting power to the secretary of state.”
But, the web site noted, “If the party rules do not dissuade Vermont, then look for the parties in New Hampshire to put pressure on the candidates to steer clear of the Green Mountain state. That is how it has worked in New Hampshire in the post-reform era.”
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