With the effective end of one of the shortest presidential primary seasons in recent elections, Republican Party officials have begun considering alternatives that would allow more states to participate in the delegate selection process.
"It was decided Super Tuesday who would be the nominee," said Morton Blackwell, the Republican National Committee chairman of Virginia. "It's unfortunate that both parties have already had their contests and the election is not until November."
Republicans hope to combat the practice of front loading that has happened in recent years, Blackwell said. Front loading is a term used to describe states trying to move their primaries to positions early in the primary season. "Our principal concern is how to cope with the rush of all states to have delegates selected," Blackwell said.
When larger states such as California move their primaries, candidates are able to win enough delegates to secure their party's nomination early in the season. This prevents states with late primaries from actively participating in the nominating process.
In May, the Brock Committee, formed specifically to reform the Republican primary process, will propose two new plans to prevent front loading to the Republican Standing Committee on Rules.
The first plan, originally proposed by the National Association of Secretaries of State, calls for a regional primary system. Under this plan, the country would be divided into four regions that would hold their primaries on the same day. The order of each region's primary would be determined by a lottery, said Blackwell.
"That plan has very little support," Blackwell said. "I don't think that it is going to happen."
But some political experts are advocating the regional primary.
"I would like to see regional primaries in which the order would be determined on Jan. 1" of the presidential election year, said Larry J. Sabato, professor of government and foreign affairs.
The second plan, initially proposed by the State Party in Delaware, advocates combining the states into five groups based on their size. The 10 smallest states would go first while the 10 largest would go last, Blackwell said. "The Delaware plan inherently will keep interest up," he said.
Regardless of whether either plan is adopted, the National Republican Committee's main goal is to ensure the primary process does not close as early as it did for the 2000 election.
Despite the Party's promises to reform the present primary system, some said they believe change will not occur in the near future.
"I am not sure that there is enough determination and will to make the necessary changes," Sabato said. "My fear is that there will be more front loading than we saw in this race."
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