U.S. state primaries schedule in upheaval

WASHINGTON , Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The schedule of U.S. states' presidential primary elections was set for a major shuffle Thursday with South Carolina poised to advance its date by two weeks.

Katon Dawson, who heads the South Carolina Republican Party said she was determined the state retain its "first in the South" status, and said she would announce moving the vote from Feb. 2 to Jan. 19, the Washington Post reported.

That move came after Florida legislators moved their primary date up to Jan. 29 to beat out South Carolina.

In a domino effect, the newspaper said New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner will have to take action, as the state constitution requires the primary to be held one week before any other in the country. The current scheduled date is Jan. 22, which is three days after South Carolina's new date, meaning New Hampshire will likely move back to Jan. 8, the report said.

Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University, told the Post the shuffling was bound to be frustrating for candidates.

"If you're facing a moving chessboard, it's pretty difficult to know where to make your first move," Lichtman said. "Imagine playing chess if the board keeps changing."