Father's Day. The start of summer. School lets out. And primary elections?
If a bipartisan, bicameral legislative panel gets its way Minnesota's primary election may join the pantheon on June events starting in 2014.
The panel approved moving the primary from August to June as part of a larger elections measure. The primary move could get final approval from the House and Senate as early as today.
Gov. Mark Dayton supports the idea.
"I'm on record for about 25 years supporting a June primary," he said last month. He then joked, "but now that I'm the incumbent I sort of favor October."
Backers of the move say it gives general election rivals more time to make their cases to the entire populous, rather than concentrating on just the few partisans who vote in primary elections. Detractors say an early primary benefits incumbents over challengers, makes parties less important and elections more expensive.
The state switched its primary from September to August in 2010. The summer heat and the new date didn't deter Minnesotans from going to the polls. Almost 15 percent turned out in the 2010 primary, in line with turnout numbers from primary contests in 2002 and 2006.
