A bill to move up future primary elections for president and statewide offices in North Carolina could wind up on Gov. Roy Cooper's desk this week if one last hurdle is cleared.
The House scheduled debate Tuesday on a measure to permanently change the primaries from a May date to one in March. The Senate already unanimously passed the bill in April.
The legislature shifted the 2016 primary to March 15 so the state could wield more influence over the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations.
The new proposed date would be used starting in 2018. The change doesn't apply to municipal elections that occur in odd-numbered years.
The shift would also mean incumbents and potential candidates must decide sooner whether they'll run, with filing season beginning in December.