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Party rules prohibit Delaware Primary on February 8, 2000
Thursday, September 30, 1999

Delaware Democrats threaten NOT to move their primary to Tuesday 8 February ... Bill Bradley and Al Gore may boycott because Party rules prohibit delegate selection before 7 March - Iowa and New Hampshire excepted ...

Here is the relevant Democratic Party rule regarding the timing of presidential primaries and caucuses re: the Democrats (Rule 10A):

"No meetings, caucuses, conventions or primaries which constitute the first determining stage in the presidential nomination process (the date of the primary in Primary states, and the date of the first tier caucus in Caucus/Convention states) may be held prior to the first Tuesday in March [7 March in 2000] or after the second Tuesday in June [13 June in 2000] in the calendar year of the National Convention. Provided, however, that the Iowa precinct caucuses may be held no earlier than 15 days before the first Tuesday in March [this would have been Monday 21 February 2000- the original date of the Iowa caucuses before they were moved up twice and now must certainly be moved up yet a third time!]; that the New Hampshire primary may be held no earlier than 7 days before the first Tuesday in March [this would have put the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday 29 February... of course, now the N.H. primary is scheduled for four full weeks earlier!]..."

This is why a Delaware primary for the Democrats in February is out of compliance with Democratic Party rules (while Iowa and New Hampshire are also now out of compliance with Democratic Party rules although the Democrats will almost certainly have to let these two states slide... but then, why can't Delaware also be allowed to slide!)


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