Senate OKs a primary date

Bill placing presidential race in March goes on to House

The Arkansas Senate voted Friday for legislation requiring the state to hold a presidential primary election on the first Tuesday in March every four years when a president is elected.

In a 20-5 vote, the Senate sent Senate Bill 389 by Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, to the House.

The action comes after Arkansas state officials discussed holding a regional presidential primary election in 2016 with Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Arkansas' presidential primary election would be separate from the primary election for state and local offices held in May.

Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin supports the legislation, his spokesman Laura Labay said.

The estimated cost of statewide primary elections is roughly $1.5 million and the money for the presidential primary election "has already been appropriated, so this isn't a new request of funds. It is paid for out of the existing state election commissioners' budget," Labay said.

In 2009, the Arkansas Legislature enacted a law to return Arkansas' presidential primaries to May. It was sponsored by then-state Rep. Jon Woods, R-Springdale, who is now a state senator. Woods voted Friday for SB389.

The state Board of Election Commissioners paid $1.7 million to counties for the Feb. 5, 2008, presidential primaries and $2.09 million for the May 20, 2008, primaries, according to board figures in December 2008.

Arkansas' 2008 presidential primaries were held in February, after the 2005 General Assembly enacted a law requiring that.

The state had been holding them in May.

However, record low turnout in the May primaries after a stronger turnout for the presidential primaries prompted some political figures, including then-state Republican Party Chairman Dennis Milligan of Benton, to suggest moving the presidential contests back to May.

The high turnout in February 2008 -- largely driven by the presidential candidacies of former Gov. Mike Huckabee and Hillary Clinton -- can't be expected every presidential election year, Milligan said at the time.

Huckabee and Clinton have said they're considering running for president again in 2016.

Metro on 03/28/2015

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