The Democratic National Committee on Saturday approved a calendar that would make South Carolina  its first primary next year, followed by New Hampshire three days later.

The decision came over the objections of Democratic leaders in New Hampshire, who continue to stand by a state law which requires it be the first in the country to hold its primary election.

The reconfiguring replaces Iowa with South Carolina for the first primary on Feb. 3, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on Feb. 6. Georgia would vote fourth on Feb. 13, followed by Michigan on Feb. 27, with much of the rest of the nation set to vote on Super Tuesday in early March.

Although more changes are possible later this year, the formal endorsement by the Democratic National Committee during its meeting in Philadelphia is an acknowledgement that the start of the 2024 primary will look very different from the one in 2020. Hundreds of party stalwarts climbed to their feet and cheered after the easy passage by voice vote.

States with early contests play a major role in determining the nominee because White House hopefuls struggling to raise money or gain political traction often drop out before visiting states outside the first five. Media attention and policy debates concentrate in those areas, too.

The new plan was championed by President Joe Biden, who is expected to formally announce his reelection campaign in the coming months.

"The Democratic Party looks like America and so does this proposal," said DNC chair Jaime Harrison, a South Carolinian. The change "continues to make us stronger and elevates the backbone of our party," he said.

But some New Hampshire Democrats have joined with top state Republicans in pledging to go forward with the nation's first presidential primary next year regardless of the DNC calendar.