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We cannot allow the Nevada Piggy-Back to occur, and we need to encourage our New Hampshire Democratic national party representatives to hold to a position that there will not be another major nominating event within a week after New Hampshire. We have to ask our Republican national party representatives to do the same.
Our state law mandates that our Secretary of State move our primary "...7 days or more immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election..." and legislation that I sponsored this year that was signed by Governor John Lynch on June 9th and effective August 8th (cut-and-pasted below) further requires the Secretary of State to "protect the tradition of the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation presidential primary."
I expect that Secretary of State Bill Gardner will enthusiastically follow the requirements of our state law, and if the national Democratic and Republican parties don't preserve our tradition in their rules, we will again have to comply with our law to keep our state's tradition. That "tradition" is AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS. That uncertainty for 2012 about when our primary will be held can be largely solved by action by the national parties now.
The decision about when the Iowa Caucus will be held eventually is to be determined by the State of Iowa. The decision about when the New Hampshire First-In-The-Nation Presidential Primary will be held is determined by our Secretary of State as he follows the mandates of our state law. We need to encourage the national parties to appreciate the tradition of our primary.
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House Bill 341 follows, signed by Governor John Lynch on June 9th, 2010, effective August 8th (the paragraph in the bill repeats the current long-standing NH First-In-The-Nation Presidential Primary Law, which I originally sponsored in 1975 and to which I have authored three other updates since then):
CHAPTER 121 - HB 341 - FINAL VERSION - 2010 SESSION
HOUSE BILL 341
AN ACT relative to the date selected for the presidential primary election.
SPONSORS: Rep. Splaine, Rock 16
COMMITTEE: Election Law
ANALYSIS
This bill modifies the statute relating to the date for the presidential primary election.
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in italic.
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten
AN ACT relative to the date selected for the presidential primary election.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
121:1 Election Dates; Presidential Primary Election. Amend RSA 653:9 to read as follows:
653:9 Presidential Primary Election. The presidential primary election shall be held on the second Tuesday in March or on a date selected by the secretary of state which is 7 days or more immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election, whichever is earlier, of each year when a president of the United States is to be elected or the year previous. Said primary shall be held in connection with the regular March town meeting or election or, if held on any other day, at a special election called by the secretary of state for that purpose. The purpose of this section is to protect the tradition of the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
121:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
Approved: June 9, 2010
Effective Date: August 8, 2010
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