Primary re-does costly

LANSING (AP) — The biggest stumbling block to doing over the Democratic primaries in Michigan and Florida may be the cost.


Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer estimates it would cost the state party $8 million to $12 million to set up party-run election sites and allow voting by mail or over the Internet.


Florida Democrats could be facing even higher costs.


During a meeting Wednesday night among House Democrats from Florida and Michigan, Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida relayed estimates that another primary would cost the state between $22 million and $24 million, a vote-by-mail contest would cost at least $8 million and the bill for a caucus would be about $4 million, said Hastings spokesman David Goldenberg.


Michigan and Florida both held January primaries but were stripped of their delegates for breaking Democratic National Committee rules by moving their contests to earlier dates. The national committee has suggested that the two states hold another round of presidential contests that would meet party rules and allow their delegates to be seated.


But with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in a tight race for the nomination, setting up new elections isn’t so simple. Clinton won both states’ primaries, but all the Democratic candidates agreed not to campaign in either state, and Obama wasn’t even on the ballot in Michigan.


Negotiations over what kind of do-over contests would be held and how they would be set up have been contentious. Neither side wants to give the other a possible advantage.