Oregon Public Broadcasting

After last week's Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire holds its primary Tuesday.  22 other states have primaries or caucuses February 5th.

All that frontloading tends to lessen the impact of voters in states including  Washington and Oregon. 

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed and the National Association of Secretaries of State think they have a better way. They want the legislature to consider a national system of regional presidential primaries in 2012.

Sam Reed: "What it would do is set up four distinct areas of the country. The east, south, midwest and west. And have primaries starting in March, the first Tuesday in March, April, May June. But have New Hampshire and Iowa still go first so there can be this retail campaign that takes place in small states."

Reed says the current system could discourage good candidates from running.

Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury also backs the idea of rotating regional primaries.  Oregon's primary is May 20th.

Washington has a primary and caucuses in February, but after super-duper Tuesday.