HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County leaders say a change in the 2024 primary election date will create problems for its elections office and, in particular, with precinct locations to be set up in schools.

State lawmakers have been talking about changing the date of the now-scheduled April 23 primary to a date as early as March 19, so Pennsylvania voters could have a stronger role in determining the presidential contenders.

Because April 23 conflicts with the Jewish holiday of Passover, three other states have already moved their dates.

“I understand why the legislators want a more relevant date, but it’s a little problematic for the counties in general,” Commissioners Chairman Bruce Erb said Tuesday.

Director of Elections Sarah Seymour confirmed for Erb that if the primary date is earlier than April 23, that means the work associated with wrapping up the fall election will overlap with preparing for the spring primary.

Solicitor Nathan Karn, who advises the county’s elections office, also said the change will affect polling locations, particularly ones inside schools that have already set their calendars to accommodate the April 23 primary.

Karn and Seymour said they previously met with school superintendents who asked for advance notice and efforts so they could cancel classes or take actions to maintain security in schools used as voting polls.

“It would be a lot for us to go to the superintendents now and say kick your kids out of school for a day so we can have an election, because the Legislature decided six months out that we were going to hold an election earlier than what (the county) contracted with you for,” Karn said.

In cases where schools or other voting locations aren’t available on a date the lawmakers select, that leaves Seymour and her staff looking for alternate locations that meet a lengthy list of requirements, including accessibility for voters with handicaps.

Karn acknowledged his frustration with state lawmakers for failing to address the matter before now and proposed that changes like this should be planned at least a year

in advance.

“The issue isn’t whether they’re good changes or not,” Karn said. “The issue is trying to implement the changes with next-to-no notice.”

Commissioners are slated on Thursday to sign an agreement with the Hollidaysburg Area School District, establishing use of the district’s junior high building as a polling location in the fall election and in the 2024 and 2025 primary and general elections.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.