Pennsylvania’s legislature wants the presidential primary to happen sooner in the election cycle — so that Pennsylvanians have a greater impact on who the parties’ nominees are.

“Here we are, the fifth-most registered voters in the country not having input into who the candidates are for our parties,” state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Greensburg, said on the Senate floor, according to a recent Associated Press report.

She’s right. It certainly would be better for Pennsylvania’s voters to have a greater say in who the Republican and Democratic parties nominate.

And, at the risk of arrogance, it would be better for voters throughout the nation too. Pennsylvania has a diverse electorate with a wide range of ideological views. It’s one of the few states to have both parties holding a majority in one house of its legislature. Pennsylvania has a history of leaders who set aside partisan conformity to serve their constituents and exemplify their principles, such as pro-choice Republican Sen. Arlen Specter and pro-life Democratic Gov. Robert Casey. An electorate that rewards that rejection of party orthodoxy can only guide the parties closer to nominees that serve Americans, not a list of special interest groups’ talking points.

Concerns that the change would leave courts and county election officials on a tighter schedule for performing their responsibilities are valid. We hope that the state Legislature fully considers such concerns and makes further necessary changes so that the new calendar works for everyone.

We believe the state Legislature can refine the proposal to make it work, and should proceed with giving Pennsylvanians an earlier and greater voice in who our president is.