Jewish leaders in Butler County support moving state’s presidential primary up a month
A piece of legislation meant to show sensitivity to Jewish voters is moving its way through the state Legislature. If passed, it could have an impact nationally on the 2024 primary election.
Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, which reconvened Tuesday, Sept. 26, for the first time since July 7, is considering a bill to move the date of the state’s presidential primary election from April 23 to March 19. The change would keep the primary from conflicting with the Passover holiday. The state Senate has already approved the bill 45-2.
If this legislation were to pass, it could add greater importance to Pennsylvania’s primary election, letting voters go to the polls before each party has a clear winner or loser.
The heads of two Jewish houses of worship in Butler County said they support moving the primary. If the Pennsylvania presidential primary stayed on its current date, then most Jewish voters would be discouraged from going to the polls on Election Day, as they traditionally refrain from driving or using electricity on Passover, they said.
In the 2024 calendar, Passover lasts from April 22 to 30. Rhode Island and Maryland, whose previous primary dates also coincided with Passover, have already passed legislation to move their dates to avoid a conflict.
Rabbi Yossi Feller, of the Chabad Jewish Center of Cranberry, applauded the idea.
“When we're cognizant of the sensitivities of our fellow community members, that makes us stronger as a community,” Feller said. “It's important that the primary shouldn't be conflicting with a Jewish holiday because observers are not able to vote in the primary, just like they're not able to use electronics and drive a car, and so on.”
“That is why it is so commendable that they are being sensitive to the needs of the Jewish community.”
Similarly, Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer of the Congregation B’nai Abraham in Butler is supportive of the new legislation, although she said that the members of her synagogue would be more inclined to vote during Passover than many other Jews.
“My congregates would have found a way to be enfranchised anyway,” Gray-Schaffer said. “They aren’t traditional. They don’t observe all the rules of Passover.”
Nevertheless, the cantor acknowledged that the legislation, if passed, would not only benefit the Jewish voters in Pennsylvania, but all voters in Pennsylvania.
“We think it's better for Pennsylvania. Our results will count more,” Gray-Schaffer said. “But we would be happy if we didn't have to do this … if we didn't have to face this obstacle.”
