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City and county clerks are asking to move Wisconsin’s 2012 primary election from September all the way back to July to accommodate new federal requirements.

The state Legislature plans to act soon on moving the date, currently the second Tuesday of September, due to the new rules requiring clerks to mail absentee ballots to overseas voters (such as those serving in the military) within 45 days of the general election, according to the Associated Press.

Last year, the state’s election calendar gave clerks only a couple weeks between the Sept. 14 primary and the Nov. 2 general election to meet the new standard created by the Military Overseas and Voter Empowerment Act. (Although the calendar in Wisconsin made meeting the deadline impossible, the U.S. Department of Justice agreed not to penalize the state if it temporarily relaxed its policies on counting late absentee ballots.)

State Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) has proposed holding the primary in the second week of August, but Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy has said even that time frame might be too late, the Associated Press reports. Lazich chairs the Senate Transportation and Elections Committee.

Offices coming up for election in 2012 are U.S. Senate (Herb Kohl), congressional seats, State Assembly seats, state senate seats with even-numbered districts, district attorneys and U.S. President, although the presidential primary is held separately in February in Wisconsin.

The legislature and the Government Accountability Board could also consider moving it back to an earlier date (perhaps sometime in January) as requested by both the national Democratic and Republican parties.

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