Sep 4, 2007 9:50 am US/Pacific
GOP: 7 States To Choose Early Primary Voting Dates
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
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Sept. 4, 2007, is the deadline for states to submit to the Republican National Committee the date and format of their primaries or caucuses. (File)
CBS 11 News
As many as seven states are expected to flout Republican rules Tuesday and schedule their presidential primaries or caucuses before Feb. 5, establishing an unprecedented early start to the nominating process.
The early voting states risk losing half their delegates to the Republican convention next summer, though some are banking that whoever wins the GOP nomination will eventually restore the delegates.
Tuesday is the deadline for states to submit to the Republican National Committee the date and format of their primaries or caucuses.
GOP rules call for states that schedule their nominating contests before Feb. 5 to lose half their delegates to the convention, though the national party is not expected to take any action Tuesday.
That will come later when RNC Chairman Mike Duncan formally invites states to the nominating convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul next summer and declares how many delegates each state gets. He must issue the invitation, or call, to the convention by Dec. 31.
Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, Florida, Wyoming and Michigan are expected to vote in January. Wyoming made its announcement Aug. 29. On Tuesday, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed legislation moving Michigan's primary to Jan. 15.
Dates and delegate allotments are in flux as states jockey for earlier contests.
The Democrats have similar issues with their nominating calendar. On Aug. 25, a national Democratic rules committee voted to strip Florida of all its delegates to the Democratic convention unless it reschedules its planned Jan. 29 primary.
Michigan is risking its delegates as well with its move to January. Granholm stood by her decision, saying the earlier date will put greater emphasis on issues related to the Midwest state.
"We want candidates to talk about how they plan to enforce trade policies that are so critical to our manufacturers, the need for universal access to affordable health care and how they plan to reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil," Granholm said in a statement.
Her action came despite the fact that the top Democratic candidates all have signed pledges not to campaign in Florida or Michigan if they do not reschedule their primaries to later dates.
Under the Democratic rules, the only states that may hold a primary before Feb. 5 are New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada. Iowa is slated for Jan. 14, Nevada on Jan. 19, New Hampshire on Jan. 22 and South Carolina on Jan. 29.
GOP rules have no exceptions to the Feb. 5 requirement.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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