State representatives are questioning whether a bill that would move Ohio's 2016 primary election date might cause confusion among voters and candidates.
During the bill's first hearing Wednesday, Democrats on the Republican-controlled panel also questioned whether moving the battleground state's presidential primary back a week - from March 8 to March 15 - might help Republicans more than Democrats.
Sponsoring Rep. Mike Dovilla, a Berea Republican, said the date change would meet newly-set Republican National Committee rules that take delegates from states that hold their primaries too early.
State Rep. David Leland, a Columbus Democrat, said moving the primary to May 3 or after would allow Democrats also to maximize their delegates.
Other questions concerned the legality of existing candidate petitions and voter confusion over a mid-month election.