Lawmakers look to revolutionize primary plan

Three senators — a Republican, a Democrat and an Independent — are dusting off an old plan for the nation’s presidential primary system that has the potential to revolutionize the election process.

Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) announced Tuesday they are proposing legislation that would institute a new primary structure that divides the country into four regions, with each region’s states voting in a different month.

{mosads}The Regional Presidential Primary and Caucus Act, which would take effect for the 2012 elections, is a result of this year’s rush by states to the front of the line, with big states such as California, New York and New Jersey moving to Feb. 5 and Florida jumping line to Jan. 29.

A document outlining the plan, obtained by The Hill, said it would “encourage the greatest number of good candidates to enter the race, allow voters an opportunity to hear all candidates’ ideas [and] ensure more Americans a chance to cast a meaningful vote.”

“Primaries were not intended to be an arms race,” Klobuchar, the lead sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “We seek to give order to this chaotic, messy and unrepresentative process. This schedule gives power and influence back to the voters in every state.”

The proposal calls for a rotating schedule of the four regions, while protecting the “traditional” first states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

The states would be divided into the East (Region I), South (II), Midwest (III) and West (IV) regions.

A lottery would determine which region votes first on the first Tuesday or within six days of the first Tuesday in March. The other regions would follow in numerical order in April, May and June. Whichever region goes first in 2012 would go to the back of the line in 2016.

One office said the plan is based on the Rotating Regional Presidential Primaries Plan first adopted by the National Association of Secretaries of State in 2000.

The senators pushing for the new plan said their move is in response to the crowded front end of the 2008 primary season. According to them, next year, 33 states have scheduled their primaries or caucuses before March 1. In 2004 there were only 19, and in 2000 there were 11.

“The presidential nomination system is broken,” Alexander said in a statement. “The American Dream that ‘any boy or girl can grow up to be president’ has become a nightmare. States racing to schedule early contests have made the nomination process too long and expensive. At least 18 states will choose delegates in a one-day traffic jam on February 5 next year. Our legislation will increase the pool of good candidates willing to run for the White House and give more Americans the opportunity to hear their ideas and to cast a meaningful vote.”

Alexander said he would amend the bill, if it ever comes up, to raise the limit on individual contributions in presidential contests to $10,000 a person, indexed for inflation.

On Feb. 5, 2008, 18 or more states will hold their caucuses or primaries, leading many to believe the parties’ nominees will be known long before the summer campaign season begins.

“Under this schedule, the primary contests in both major parties could be over by March 1st — nearly 6 months before the nominating conventions,” the document reads.

Aside from garnering more Senate support, the bill also raises a number of other questions.

Most primaries are set by state law, seen most recently in Florida, where the state legislature ignored the bylaws of the Republican and Democratic national committees and made its primary Jan. 29 by law.

In some states, the parties set the date, host the elections and are responsible for the cost of the contests.

Elana Schor contributed to this report.