On December 2, the Washington, D.C. city council voted 10-3 in favor of B20-0265. It moves the presidential primary from early April to the second Tuesday in June. It also moves the primary for other office from April to the first Tuesday in September.

Before 2012, the primary for office other than President was the second Tuesday in September. That date was abandoned because of the Congressional mandate that all jurisdictions holding federal elections send out overseas absentee ballots no later than 45 days before any primary or election. But holding the primary on the first week in September should handle that problem. States that still hold congressional primaries in September are Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.

If the Republican Party decides to hold its national convention in late June, the proposed Washington, D.C. presidential primary date of the second Tuesday in June won’t be practical, and this area of the law will need to be revisited again. Thanks to Bruce Majors for this news.

On December 12, the Ohio legislature passed HJR 12. It will be presented to the voters in the November 2015 election. It would require that state legislative districts be drawn so as not to favor or disfavor any particular party. It would also require the district boundaries to avoid splitting neighborhoods, cities, and towns, except when necessary. If it passes, it would still leave redistricting in the hands of elected state politicians, including the legislature and some of the statewide elected executive posts.

According to this article, the Secretaries of State of Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi have indicated that they favor moving their presidential primaries to March 1, 2016.

Under the existing laws in each state, the 2016 presidential primary (and the primary for all other office as well) in Alabama and Mississippi is March 8, and the Arkansas primary is May 24.

Already, Alabama and Arkansas are in court over whether their petition deadlines for either minor parties, or independent candidates, are too early. Since both states key those deadines to the date of their primaries, making the suggested date changes would make the deadlines even more susceptible to court challenge. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.