PRINTER'S NO. 3182
No. 581 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY RAMALEY, READSHAW, GIBBONS, CREIGHTON, JAMES,
BIANCUCCI, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, DALEY, FRANKEL, GERGELY,
GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HORNAMAN, KULA, MANN, McILHATTAN,
M. O'BRIEN, PETRONE, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER,
SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, SWANGER, THOMAS, WALKO, WANSACZ AND
YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 5, 2008
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
FEBRUARY 5, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Democratic National Committee and the Republican
2 National Committee to assist every state, with the exception
3 of Iowa and New Hampshire, in coordinating and implementing a
4 rotating regional presidential primary system.
5 WHEREAS, The election of the President and the Vice President
6 of the United States is among the most important civic events in
7 which voters participate; and
8 WHEREAS, The process leading to the nomination of candidates
9 for President and Vice President of the United States should be
10 as open and participatory as possible; and
11 WHEREAS, An alarming number of states are rushing to move
12 their 2008 presidential primary elections to an earlier date
13 which, if successful, would result in the most front-loaded
14 presidential nominating calendar in our nation's history; and
15 WHEREAS, The impact of this trend is that most Americans will
16 not have input into choosing their party's presidential nominee
1 and those that do will have inadequate time to make an informed
2 decision about their vote; and
3 WHEREAS, A coordinated, orderly and defined presidential
4 primary electoral schedule would enhance voter participation,
5 strengthen the political process and protect the rights of all
6 states and their citizens; and
7 WHEREAS, To accomplish this goal, the Commonwealth of
8 Pennsylvania should participate in a rotating regional
9 presidential primary system that divides the country into four
10 regions, holds a rotating schedule of primary elections in
11 March, April, May and June, and gives each region an opportunity
12 to vote first every four elections; and
13 WHEREAS, Given the historically important role smaller states
14 have played in the presidential election process in terms of
15 retail politics, New Hampshire and Iowa should be allowed to
16 continue to conduct their primary or caucus prior to the
17 commencement of the rotation schedule; and
18 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should assume a
19 leadership role on this issue, just as it has done countless
20 times throughout our nation's long history, and attempt to
21 establish a presidential primary system that best protects the
22 voice of each state in the process; therefore be it
23 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
24 Democratic National Committee and the Republican National
25 Committee to assist every state, with the exception of Iowa and
26 New Hampshire, in coordinating and implementing a rotating
27 regional presidential primary system; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
29 the presiding officers of both the Democratic National Committee
30 and the Republican National Committee.
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