Can the Democrats Get It Together?

"Democrats needed to make sure that 'voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process,' and they had to pay attention to the country's 'overall diversity'-geographic, economic, and demographic. Too many candidates had faltered early in the small, relatively nondiverse states that voted first (traditionally, New Hampshire and Iowa), leading them to drop out."

"On January 31st, the Rules and Bylaws Committee met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to begin considering twelve states for what will be four regional 'early window' primary slots: the East (the choices are Delaware or New Hampshire), the Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan), the South (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia), and the West (Nevada, New Mexico), with room for a possible fifth at-large state."

President Biden's 2022 letter to the Democratic National Committee advocated for a primary calendar reflecting party principles of diversity and voter participation. He successfully moved South Carolina to the first position, citing the need for voters of color to have earlier influence in nominee selection. Despite Biden receiving 87% of the primary vote under this new structure, he withdrew six weeks after the final contest. The party now reassesses the calendar through a January 31st Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting in Puerto Rico, considering twelve states for four regional early voting slots: East, Midwest, South, and West regions, with potential for a fifth at-large state.

Read at The New Yorker