In other election law news, Del. Mark Cole has introduced a bill that would add the following language to the Virginia code dealing with “Primary dates; presidential election year primaries”:
In presidential election years beginning in the year 2016, primaries to choose among presidential candidates shall be held as provided in Article 7 (§ 24.2-544 et seq.), and primaries for the nomination of candidates for offices to be voted on at the general election in November shall be held on the same date as the presidential primary. The schedule and deadlines applicable to notices, filings, and ballots for the presidential primary shall be applicable to other primaries held on the date of the presidential primary. The State Board of Elections shall promulgate instructions to implement the provisions of this subsection.
The rationale seems simple: if we’re going to have a presidential primary every four years anyway, why not hold the primaries for other offices on the same day? Saves time, saves money and might help generate more interest in the Senate and House contests. It might also have the interesting side benefit of having House and Senate candidates pick presidential favorites, and vice versa.
In light of all that’s happening now, I toss it to readers to weigh-in: is Cole’s bill a sensible idea? Or is it asking for trouble?
