Americans may cast first votes for 2008 this year

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans may cast some of the first votes in the 2008 presidential election later this year after South Carolina on Thursday moved up its voting calendar to compete with traditional first states Iowa and New Hampshire.

With the Democratic and Republican sides crowded with hopeful candidates, the primary elections will allow voters an early chance to choose the nominee from each party who will face off in the November 2008 election.

The South Carolina Republican Party's decision to move up its primary to January 19 -- 10 days earlier than expected -- reflects an eagerness to enjoy the attention and cash windfall that comes from multiple candidates canvassing the state.

"The states recognize that you want the circus to come to town, you want the excitement of the candidates," said Republican strategist Scott Reed.

"There's some chaos right now. It appears there's been a total breakdown in party discipline to allow some of the states to play tiddlywinks with the schedule."

South Carolina's move means New Hampshire will have to push forward its nomination vote, possibly to January 8, to preserve its status of holding the first primary in the nation.

New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said his state's party was comfortable with South Carolina's move and would shift to an earlier date.

"We have a highly participatory electorate, a highly informed electorate and we have served the nation well in past primaries by vetting candidates and thinning the field," he said.

This will mean Iowa would have to move its caucuses from January 14 to perhaps sometime in December. Iowa picks candidates through caucus meetings, rather than a primary, that are the first nomination sessions in the country.

A shift by Iowa could create a scenario of candidates competing for votes during the Christmas holiday season.

"Iowa will go first, that is the bottom line," said Iowa Gov. Chet Culver.

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If Democrats do not shift their schedules accordingly, an even more complicated picture could emerge with competing parties holding their primary votes on different days.

The jockeying means the presidential campaign, already off to an extremely early start, will be accelerated even more, straining campaign budgets and forcing candidates to make tough decisions on how much time to spend in each state.

It also increases the likelihood that the country may well know who the nominee is from each party after February 5, when as many as 20 states hold their primary elections, including big states California and New York.