How do I change the date to the correct one?

What if all states held primaries on the same date, say one year before the election? How might that change the selection process?

• Answer:

  I am not entirely sure how it would change things. At least in years where there are significant primary races in both parties it would tent to cut down on the likelihood of crossover voters trying to influence the nomination of the other party's candidate. We can argue as to how much of an effect this really has, but it would reduce the possibility. The other advantage would be that everyone's vote would actually have some meaning. Personally, I am beginning to get tired of the nominee being chosen before I even have a chance to vote for one. However, I don't like the idea of the primaries being held a whole year before the general election. That would just stretch the whole election process out even more. I think that the candidates are already starting to campaign too early. The candidates already spend too much time campaign, especially if they are currently holding office. Obama had hardly taken office as a US Senator before he started running for the presidency. How much work did the people of Illinois really get out of him as a Senator? McCain, at least, had given the people almost 20 years of service as their Senator by that time. However, how much work did they get from him during his two runs for the White House? So, no, I don't think we need to push the primaries any earlier. If we were going to go to a single day for all of the primaries and caucuses, then I think that June would be a good time for them. The candidates can beat each other up trying to get their parties' nominations and then we can go to the conventions in late summer and leave about two or three months for the general campaign. If people haven't figured out who they want to vote for by the end of the primaries, then I don't think that a whole year of additional campaigning is going to make much of a difference.