On March 28, the Illinois House passed HB 426, which moves the entire primary from March to February. The vote was 110-4. The bill also eases the deadline for a qualified party to certify the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates. This is necessary to accomodate the Republican Party’s unusually late 2008 national convention (which won’t formally choose the national ticket until September 3 or September 4, 2008).