Dec 14, 2004 By Rick Martinez For The 3 min read

HARRISBURG – Gov. Ed Rendell on Monday again called for Pennsylvania to move up its primary election date in order to give the state’s voters a greater say in picking the country’s presidents. The governor then signed an executive order forming the Governor’s Task Force on Elections, which will investigate not only an earlier primary date but also options for earlier voting, expanded use of absentee ballots and divvying up the state’s 21 electoral votes.

As he did last February, Rendell bemoaned the fact that presidential nominees are usually all but picked by Iowa and New Hampshire. He noted that those two states have insignificant minority populations and little manufacturing.

“I belief this produces a stilted result,” he said.

Asked if he thought his party’s presidential nominee, John Kerry, was a stilted result, Rendell wouldn’t bite.

“I’m not just talking about the 2004 election,” he said. “The process isn’t fair to Democrats or Republicans.”

A date to which the state’s April primary would be moved is something Rendell said he would leave to the task force. But he dismissed concerns by some lawmakers that an earlier primary would force them to circulate their nominating petitions over the holidays.

Still, Stephen Miskin, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson) said the governor shouldn’t be so quick to “pooh pooh” legislators’ worries.

“There are valid questions about an earlier primary date, valid concerns,” he said.

The governor also wondered aloud if the restrictions on the use of absentee ballots should be lifted. He noted that in Florida more than 2 million people voted by absentee ballot, with few negative consequences. “Could these become a second form of voting?” he asked.

Rendell also wants the task force to consider moving up by a couple of weeks the date when absentee ballots could be mailed to Pennsylvanians living abroad or serving in the military overseas. The timely return of ballots from overseas became a partisan political issue in this year’s presidential election.

Perhaps the most controversial of Rendell’s proposals is to divide the state’s electoral votes between candidates. Pennsylvania, like most other states, awards all its 21 electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote.

Rendell said the task force should look at Nebraska and Maine, where electoral votes are awarded in proportion to the candidate’s popular vote.

The Governor’s Task Force on Elections will be composed of 13 members: one from each of the four legislative caucuses; four appointed by the governor; three from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania; one from the state’s League of Women Voters; and the Secretary of State, who will serve as chairman.

Rendell wants the task force to submit its recommendations to him by April 15.

Rick Martinez can be reached at 717-705-6330 or rmartinez@calkins-media.com.