FOLLOW US

California Governor Gerry Brown signed a bill that would change the date of the state’s primary election in 2020.

Gov. Brown supported the objective of the state legislature to make California more relevant during the campaign period.

Under newly-enacted SB 568, California will hold its primary for presidential and non-presidential elections in March 2020. The state traditionally holds its primary June thus its schedule is at the end of the presidential primary schedule.

California legislators believe that the original primary schedule reduces the state’s influence in the presidential nomination process. The state is populous and diverse. It has 19.4 million registered voters thus it can shape the national debate on important issues. It has also a unique stake in the selection of presidential nominees.

SB 568 gives California voters a more powerful voice

In a statement, State Senator Ricardo Lara said the law “puts California voters in the front seat on choosing our next president.” He believes the law will make the elections “better.”

“We have a responsibility to drive a different agenda at the national level and promote inclusion and consensus not the politics of division,” said State Sen. Lara. He is one of the authors of the law.

On the other hand, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said the state’s primary will be in the prime time. Presidential candidate will no longer ignore the largest and most diverse state in the country.

Padilla added that the law will help ensure that presidential candidates from all parties will prioritize the issues important to Califonians.

Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin said SB 568 gives Californians a more powerful voice in the presidential primary elections.

“It is only right that our primary election date makes ‘California Count’ when choosing our presidential candidates,” said Mullin. He noted that it is one of the states with the largest and most diverse population. The state’s economy is the sixth biggest worldwide.