California State Senator Ron Calderon says he will introduce a bill on January 23 to move the California presidential primary from June to early February. Calderon is chair of the Senate Elections Committee. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he approves of the idea. Secretary of State Debra Bowen, however, fears that the state’s vote-counting equipment must be revised before the next statewide election and she fears that this work might not be done in time to cope with a February 2008 primary.

A similar bill has already been introduced in the Assembly by Assemblyman George Plescia, a Republican. The bill, AB 157, provides that the primary for office other than president would continue to be in June. Therefore, California would have two primaries in presidential election years. Approximately half the states that hold presidential primaries hold two primaries in presidential election years, and early presidential primary and a much later primary for other office.