Setting Primary Date Is Major Headache For Galvin

BOSTON (AP) _ Setting a date for this year's primary election in Massachusetts is turning into a major political headache for state Secretary William Galvin.

The primary is normally held seven weeks before the November general election _ Sept. 18.

This year, that day also marks the start of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Backing up a week to Sept. 11 doesn't help either because that would fall on the earlier Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

Galvin ultimately decided to back up another week to Sept. 4 and ask lawmakers to pay for five days of early voting.

But critics were quick to jump on the date _ pointing out that it's the day after Labor Day, when many people are just getting back from summer vacations and aren't focused on politics.