COLUMBIA - Legislators are trying to address the federal government's claim that the state needs more time between primaries and any ensuing runoffs, but tinkering with tradition brings a mixed bag of trade-offs.

The Justice Department has told the state that the current two weeks between a primary and a runoff is not enough time to give overseas voters, particularly those in the military, time to receive ballots and return their votes.

In South Carolina, candidates have to win more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff.

Additional time would give candidates an opportunity to raise and spend more money in runoffs, and allow losing candidates more time to offer endorsements. On the other hand, changing the schedule could bring calls to move primaries to late summer, shortening the time candidates have before the November general election.

The South Carolina Election Commission has tried to address the federal government's concerns by mailing blank runoff ballots along with primary ballots and letting people vote by e-mail and fax. But the federal government said more time was needed.

Now the House and Senate are addressing the issue, mulling plans to hold runoffs four weeks after the June 13 primary.

"I'm convinced the June primary date is in jeopardy if we don't act," Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, said after a panel he chairs held its first meeting on a bill addressing the Justice Department's concerns. Martin and other legislators worry that an injunction would delay statewide, House and other elections.

Any legislation dealing with elections faces a tough time as legislators count the potential political costs. Despite the stakes, "it's going to be hard to get this through," Martin said.

The Election Commission's 14-day candidate filing window opens March 16.

Candidates with primaries tend to spend their campaign cash in the last few weeks before the election. But if the primary date is in doubt, it could be hard to plan.

"If I were a candidate running for statewide office, I would be more concerned about the June 13 primary date being changed," Martin said.

The potential for court-delayed primaries is a problem, said Warren Tompkins, a veteran at running statewide campaigns.

"You don't want to plan your campaign based on a June 13 date and start spending your money" then have the date changed, he said.

Candidates could use the extra two weeks the legislation would give, he said. A candidate in a runoff spends "the first five days trying to get organized and get money," Tompkins said. "Four weeks would make a lot of difference."

The extra time also gives candidates time to line up endorsements from losing candidates and their supporters, state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin said.

But adding two weeks to the runoff means they will straddle the July 4 holiday, Martin said. Because of that, legislators "may want to look at changing to an August primary schedule," Martin said.

That's not part of the bill, but Martin said it could become an issue.

State Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson favors moving the primary to the first week of June and allowing three weeks for a runoff to avoid the July 4 holiday. Three weeks is enough time to get runoff ballots distributed and returned from overseas, he said.

June primaries "give you the first half of the year to campaign intraparty and the second half of the year to campaign with the other party." Tompkins said.

Once you "get into the dog days of summer . you lose so many people to vacations," Erwin said.

With tough primary contests, "it takes a while to heal our wounds," Dawson said.