New York’s 2012 Presidential Primary to be Held on April 24th

Both houses of the Legislature have approved a Governor’s Program Bill (S.5753/A.8363) that schedules next year’s presidential primary election for April 24th. The bill also allows the Republican party to switch its primary from the winner-take-all model back to a proportional delegate system.  This is intended to force candidates to compete in each congressional district throughout the state.

Connecticut and Pennsylvania are also planning to hold their presidential primaries on April 24th.

The bill also requires that ballots be transmitted to military and overseas voters at least 45 days before the election.

The vote for all other offices for which there is a primary election is scheduled to be held on September 11, 2012.  (This may be changed. In 2007, when the primary would normally have been held on September 11th, the Governor and the Legislature moved it back one week to September 18th.)