A stone wall relies on both big stones and little stones to provide it with strength and stability.

This year’s annual state Senate legislative package of election-related bills has one big stone and several small stones to strengthen and protect New Yorkers’ accessibility to the ballot box and to reduce the factors that undermine the integrity of the election process.

The big stone in the package this year is a bill (S8604/A9310) that would move New York’s presidential primary from June to the first Tuesday in March.

Right now, many states hold their primaries much earlier in the year than New York does, so by the time New Yorkers vote, the party’s presidential candidates have usually been effectively decided.

Why should New York’s 12.3 million registered voters be forced to the back of the line when it comes to picking our next president?

New York’s late primary position allows candidates to ignore the needs of New York voters because they don’t feel they have to spend money campaigning here. By moving the primary date to March to align with that of at least 17 other states, New York voters become more........

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