So the House is poised to pass the bill changing the date for the primary election.

The Senate can be expected to go along with the changes the House made to the bill.

Then it goes to Gov. Jim Douglas, who has made no secret of his opposition to moving the primary to late August. A veto seems likely. What would be gained by letting the bill become law without his signature?

The veto would call into question the strength of the support for moving the primary date underneath the House vote of 139-6. The 50 votes in the House on an amendment proposing the state go for a waiver and introduce electronic voting, even though the Secretary of State's election office would have to scramble to put that in place, suggests Democratic leaders might struggle to win an override.

So do we mark our calendars in pen for an August primary, or use ink to for September? Oh, right, many of you use electronic calendars, so the inking a date is about as modern as mailing ballots to people so they can mark them with Xs.

-- Nancy Remsen

Labels: Gov. Jim Douglas, primary election

As you read in today's Free Press, Vermont is faced with the prospect of having to change the date of the 2010 primary election.

Sept. 14 just isn't going to cut it. Congress just passed a law that says states have to send overseas absentee ballots out at least 45 days before the Nov. 2 general election, and there's not enough time to certify the primary, print the ballots and send them out under Vermont's current schedule.

So when would you like the election to be?

How's Aug. 24, as the Senate chose in a bill this year that hasn't passed the House?

Or Aug. 17, as the Secretary of State's Office proposed?

Or how about June? That one makes legislators nervous because they'd have to decide whether they're running and campaign during the legislative session. Could also make the session even messier politically than it's already going to be.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Labels: primary election, vermont legislature, vermont politics