The Democratic National Committee informed members on Saturday that it will delay a vote on early nominating states for the 2024 presidential election until after the November midterm elections.
The announcement was made in a memo circulated to national and state party officials from Minyon Moore and Jim Roosevelt Jr., co-chairs of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee. The duo said they were still working out unresolved issues before members make a decision on which states will earn a coveted primary spot. Specifically, several of the 17 states in contention were working on “answering several final but critical questions regarding election administration and feasibility in their states.”
DNC CUTS NEW YORK AND NEBRASKA FROM CONSIDERATION FOR EARLY PRIMARIES
“We will continue to work with applicants in the coming weeks to hammer out final details,” the letter said.
After the midterm elections, the memo added, the committee would “reconvene to update our evaluation of the applicant pool and work toward a final decision to present to the full DNC for a vote, which DNC leadership has assured us they will make happen as soon after the midterm elections as is possible.”
The Democratic Party is working to update the early stages of its primary, which have taken place in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina in recent decades. The states awarded with first-in-the-nation primary dates are given far more sway over the nominating process compared to states that vote later on. Candidates also provide significantly more attention to the early states, which tend to narrow the presidential field considerably.
The remaining 17 candidates will present their pitches later this month to the committee, which will recommend a new selection of states for the early nominating window by August. The DNC will then hold a broader vote on the new state primary order.
The 16 states and one territory still in contention include: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington.
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The decision to change their system and require that all states hold primaries instead of caucuses is a result of the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucus, which dissolved into turmoil when a glitchy app developed to help count the vote failed to function. The chaos led to days of uncertainty about the outcome of the contest, in which both Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and then-South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg declared victory and called for the re-canvassing of votes.
Many in the party have separately argued for years that Iowa and New Hampshire, which are both overwhelmingly white and rural, do not accurately represent the diversity of the party.
