Primary Date Moved Back

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Mar 17, 2010 9:40PM

Gov. Quinn signed a bill today that shifts state primaries back a bit on the calendar. The primaries had been moved in 2007, allegedly to help out home-state then-candidate Barack Obama, according to CBS 2. But the more skeptical pundits suggested it was to help incumbents by assuring lower turnout, which certainly happened this year. Either way, the next time around - 2012 - the state primary will be March 3. Said Gov. Quinn via press release: "Having the general primary election in March will increase voter turnout and encourage the people to have a greater voice in the election process, which is what democracy is all about. It provides voters with more time to delve into the issues and to know the candidates who seek to represent them."