Failure to move Pennsylvania primary from Passover may disenfranchise some Jewish voters, lawmaker says
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- Members of the Jewish community were not just marching in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. Earlier that day, some were lobbying in Harrisburg.
As KDKA-TV political editor Jon Delano explains, there is growing unhappiness with the failure of the Legislature to move next year's primary from Passover. Next year's primary is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, the first full day of Passover.
"In addition to the significance level of the holiday, which you may have like an Easter or Christmas or something along those lines, Jews who are Orthodox or observant religiously are not going to be able to do any kind of work," says Pennsylvania Rep. Abigail Salisbury.
"Writing is one of those categories of work, and so people would not be able to vote because you can't fill out a ballot if you can't write."
In addition to not voting, Salisbury of Swissvale, who is Jewish, says many Jews could not volunteer or serve as election workers, some synagogues might not be polling places and it could impact some Jewish candidates.
"If you're a Jewish candidate, you wouldn't necessarily be able to run your own campaign the day before the election or the day of the election itself. So you're really put at a disadvantage there," she said.
While the Democratic-controlled state House voted to move the primary to April 16, the Republican-controlled state Senate voted for an earlier March 19 date. And both parties attached provisions to their bills unacceptable to the other party.
Salisbury says she thought a deal had been cut with Republican Senate leaders to pass a clean bill without those provisions for an April 16 primary date.
"Unfortunately, we've gotten a hold-up. The Senate is not moving that bill, and we're really running out of time," says Salisbury.
Salisbury worries Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman of Indiana, Pennsylvania, and other Senate Republicans are not respecting the Jewish holiday.
"It's unfortunate; it's going to disenfranchise a lot of people," she says.
Pittman insists Republicans were sensitive to all holidays by moving the primary to March 19, blaming the House Democrats for not agreeing to that date.
In a statement to KDKA, Pittman also said the County Commissioners Association says it's now too late to change the date: "We run the risk of disrupting a consistent, fair and transparent process of conducting an election. Under existing law, Pennsylvania's 2024 primary election will take place on April 23."
Salisbury is not giving up, saying a number of rabbis and Jewish residents were in Harrisburg this week to lobby on the issue.
"As we know, Moses told Pharoah, 'let my people go.' We're telling the state government, 'let my people vote,'" Salisbury said.