Why primary election could be moved

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House overwhelmingly supported moving the state's primary elections back to March, saying the brief experiment with voters heading to the polls in February didn't go as planned.

As proposed, the plan would move the primary back to the third Tuesday in March rather than the current first Tuesday in February. The election was initially moved to advance Illinois' presidential primary and provide an early boost to then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's White House bid.

As it turned out, so many states moved up their primaries that Illinois would have been just as influential had it left the primary in March. Then came the latest state primaries in which candidates and political observers complained about the elections being packed so closely to the holidays, making it difficult to get people's attention. Voters registered their dislike for the February date by turning out in near record low numbers.

"We all learn from experience," said state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat who sponsored the change. It was approved 114-1 with only East Moline Democrat Mike Boland voting "no." The plan now goes to the Illinois Senate for consideration.

Several proposals had been filed that would have pushed the primary even further back, possibly to June or later. But Nekritz and Republicans interested in election reform said state and local election officials raised numerous concerns such as the availability of election judges during traditional vacation months and the cost of using schools closed for summer break as polling places.