New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary threatened-again

New Hampshire’s prized first-in-the-nation presidential primary seems to come under fire every four years, and 2012 is no exception. A number of other states, eager to boost their influence in the election process, have scheduled early Republican primaries in violation of national party rules.

Last year, the Republican National Committee set rules allowing only four states to hold primary elections or caucuses in February: New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada. All other states are required to hold their primaries in March or later, or else face penalties such as a loss of delegates.

But 19 states are currently violating party rules by scheduling their primaries before March 1. Florida has proven the most aggressive, with its primary set for Jan. 31. Florida also violated the rules in 2008 and was penalized with delegate cuts.

New Hampshire held its 2008 primaries on Jan. 8 but hoped to push them back in 2012 to create more separation from the holiday season. N.H. Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who will likely announce a date in the fall, told The Boston Globe he would retain the state’s first-in-the-nation primaries even if it meant holding them in 2011.