Why do some states schedule their primaries so late?

[SujiwanKenobee]

I'm curious about this. If people want to be a part of the democratic process in choosing candidates, why would certain states elect to hold primaries so late in the year? Comments from citizens seem to be that they are pleased that they *finally* feel as if their vote counts for something rather than having earlier primaries in other states decide someone's electability before the late primary state even gets a chance to weigh in. I'm thinking about how Montanans with a June primary must feel--as if they are ever listened to...

[SIMPLYB1980]

1. Thats why we should hold all primary's on the same day.

With the world so connected the way it is I don't see why we shouldn't other than it does give the candidates a time span to travel the country and see what different parts of it need.

[WCGreen]

2. It's traditional on the local level.

I know here in Ohio we usually ran our primary in May and June.

It was just switched to March back in 1996.

It's pretty cold in March and that was one of the reasons they had stated against putting the primary in March.

Our off year primaries are still on May and June.

[yodermon]

3. So that candidates actually have time to campaign and let people

from the states get to know them.

Clinton was leading by a wide margin early on. It was to her advantage for states to move up their primaries before Obama had a chance to campaign heavily.

[AllentownJake]

4. Primaries

Are generally for local candidates in the other 3 years during an election cycle.

[goddess40]

5. We should have 5 primary days.

We could lump 10 states together (depending on the area and number of people in those areas the number could be adjusted) regionally and rotate each presidential cycle. That way every state gets a chance to go first and we'd be done with this mess by now.

I also believe we should have closed primaries as democrats should get to choose their own canidate as republicans should get to choose their own.

Our country has gotten so big and lives so complicated that caucuses are no longer representative and the way we do primaries now are so erratic with their rules that we end up having hissy fights about who's delegates should count.

[democrattotheend]

6. They did not move them up

The states that are voting now have their governor/congressional primaries the same day. Most states used to do it all the same day, until there was a stampede to move up the primaries in a lot of states. I bet a lot of the state party chairs and legislators who moved to February 5 are now regretting it, since the later states are getting more attention.