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January 8, 1999/ 20 Tevet 5759, Vol. 51, No. 15
Presidential primary may be rescheduled to avoid Sabbath
DANE D'ANTUONO
Staff Writer
Planners of the Western Presidential Primary Task Force recommended this week that the proposed joint Western states' presidential primary election be moved from its originally chosen date of Saturday, March 11, 2000, to March 10, 2000 - a Friday.
Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt and Montana Secretary of State Mike Cooney, co-chairmen of the Western Presidential Primary Task Force, which includes governors, state legislators, election officials and party leaders from eight Rocky Mountain states, heeding the concerns of religious leaders and action organizations, decided on Jan. 5 to recommend the rescheduling of the first-ever Western presidential primary.
"This move will not only accommodate Sabbath-observant Jews in the eight states affected, but also demonstrates the political leaders' understanding and sensitivity to key religious issues in general," said Richard Heideman, president of B'nai B'rith International, in a statement.
Early in December, the Jewish human rights and community action organization wrote in a letter to Leavitt and Cooney that the March 11 the date selected for the combined presidential primary in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming is a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
The task force had been committed to a date between the March 7 Bicoastal Primary, which includes California and New York, and Super Tuesday primaries in some other states on March 14. Task force members had noted that it is easier to find volunteers to man polls on a Saturday. However, holding the election on a Saturday, the B'nai B'rith leaders pointed out, "would prevent Sabbath-observant Jews ... from exercising their constitutionally recognized rights to vote."
Jews share the Saturday Sabbath day with Seventh Day Adventists and some others.
Joel Breshin, regional Anti-Defamation League Director in Arizona, said he couldn't be more excited about the newly recommended date. This primary would be the first time voters in all eight states would go to the polls together to vote for their choices for presidential party candidates.
"Other than jumping for joy, we are very pleased that the political leaders understand the problem observant Jews face, and that they understand the fact that every person needs to be a part of the political process and shouldn't be restricted," Breshin said.
According to Breshin, directors of the ADL offices from all eight states met in a Dec. 3 conference call to discuss strategy efforts to get the date changed. Breshin said representatives from their offices were busy lobbying for the date change and asking governors to speak in support of the move. "We spoke to representatives and lay leaders in order to put on a full-court press to get the date changed," Breshin said.
At press time, no decision had been made by the full task force on the Leavitt/Cooney recommendation to change the date. However, Breshin said he is confident things will go in the ADL's favor. "Leavitt is the one who proposed the original primary date. It is our understanding that whatever is recommended, it will be passed."
Breshin gave much credit to Arizona Gov. Jane D. Hull, saying, "Her efforts helped to get the recommendation. ... Gov. Hull from the beginning questioned the Saturday primary and was the first to voice a challenge against it."
Hull voiced her concerns about the date with fellow governors from Western states when they gathered in Phoenix early in December for the Western Governors Association winter meeting.
Now it appears that Jewish advocates were successful. B'nai B'rith sent a letter on Jan. 5, thanking the Utah governor and Montana secretary of state for their recommendation. "In Jewish law and tradition, the weekly Sabbath is regarded as a holy day on which even activities such as voting should not intrude," Heideman wrote. He added that by selecting Friday for the primary, the eight states "will not disenfranchise, even unintentionally, Sabbath-observant Jews, Christians or Muslims." The president said he understood that the decision to recommend a Friday election day was made after the task force checked with representatives of American Muslim groups to determine that Friday balloting would not violate Islamic practice. Friday is the Muslim weekly holy day of prayer.
Imam Abdur-Rahim Shamsid-Deen, spiritual leader of the Masjid Jauharatul-Islam (Jewel of Islam) mosque in Phoenix, confirmed that after Muslims attend Friday prayer, known as Jumu'ah, they are encouraged to return to their daily routines "and to remember Allah (God) is the one who is responsible for our prosperity." Therefore, he said, having the primary election on a Friday "is in no way offensive to the Muslim community."
"The truth of the matter," he said, "is the Friday prayer is a most important day for Muslims, but it is not considered a Sabbath for Muslims."
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