GRANT COUNTY — Leaders are pleased by the Legislature's vote to move the state's primary election back by one month, but some say they would have liked to see more of a buffer, and concerns remain about what the change will mean for candidates campaigning at the Grant County Fair.

The state House of Representatives voted last week to approve SB 6236, which would move Washington's primary election up from mid-September to the third Tuesday in August. The Senate has also approved the bill and it now awaits consideration by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

"It gives us more time between the primary and the general election to prepare for the general election," said Grant County Auditor Bill Varney.

The bill also moves candidate filing to an earlier date, requires all overseas and absentee ballots be mailed sooner and give counties more time to certify primary and special election results. The changes proposed will be first tested when the law takes effect in 2007, an off-year election with primarily non-partisan town and city council races in Grant County.

In the event that a primary election takes long to decide, similarly to 2004's state gubernatorial race, Varney said the close proximity to the dates could have previously not allowed his office to be prepared in time for the general election.

The change in date will have more of an impact on the state's populous counties, Varney said, but will also change the methods primary candidates in Grant County will have to use when campaigning. In some years Varney said the primary would fall on the Tuesday of Grant County Fair week, which would take the event out of the picture as a means of primary campaigning.

"We tried to get them to move it back as far as we could, that's as far as we could get them to go," Varney said of the August shift.

Grant County Democrats Chair Ellie Webb would like to see more days between the primary and general elections. She said one month is better than no change at all, but said the change would force changes locally for candidates' campaigns surrounding the Grant County Fair.

Webb said any day added between the two elections is a day that would let more dust settle following in-party primary elections, and allow the public to pick their candidates regardless of party.

"I think if I had my choice it would be in June," Webb said.

Grant County GOP Chairman Tom Dent said the change in Grant County Fair campaigning would be a weakness, but said the parties would have to find a way to overcome that weakness.

Dent said the change to August will give more time for voters to get to know general election candidates. The primaries are about party choices, and Dent said the move allows more time once the parties have made their choices, for other voters to get to know the different general election candidates and make their own choices

"It's going to give the candidates more time to sell themselves to the voters," Dent said of the earlier date.