DNC approves adjusted early presidential primary schedule

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) formalized its desire to exclude Iowa from the early lineup and shuffle the order, with South Carolina going first, on Saturday by approving an altered early presidential primary state calendar, The Hill reports.

During their winter conference in Philadelphia, the DNC committee authorized an early presidential primary calendar that starts with South Carolina, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on the same day, and Georgia, and Michigan in the fourth position.

“The Democratic Party looks like America, and so does this proposal,” said DNC Chair Jamie Harrison. “This calendar does what is long overdue. It expands the number of voices in the early window, and it elevates diverse communities that are at the core of the Democratic Party,” he added.

In anticipation of their potential inability to reschedule their primary day and enhance early voting access in time—or at all—the DNC has already granted Georgia and New Hampshire extensions until early June.

It may be difficult to change the primary procedures in Georgia and New Hampshire because both of their legislatures are controlled by the Republican Party and have Republican secretaries of state and governors. In the event that neither state can adhere to the new early presidential primary date, it is unclear how Democrats will continue.

Before the vote, DNC committee members from states like Iowa and New Hampshire pleaded with their peers to oppose the changes, claiming that the DNC would unfairly punish their states if they failed to comply with the changes in a timely manner or that Republicans might use the change as a political weapon against Democrats.

Some people claimed that the DNC was robbing the states of their ability to participate in the early nomination process.

“It is frustrating because the DNC is set to punish us despite the fact we don’t have the ability to unilaterally change the law — state law,” said New Hampshire DNC committeewoman Joanne Dowdell.

“We are frustrated because the Republicans in the state are already weaponizing this proposed calendar and using it to attack Democrats up and down the ballot. And we are frustrated because, as many times as we say it, no one seems to listen when we say that this will only hurt President Biden in our purple battleground state.”