Synchronization with State Elections

For purposes of sequencing and maximizing voter interest and turnout, would it be useful to know which states are holding primaries for the U.S. Senate and for governor in a given presidential year?

Consider that some states elect their governors every two years, others every four years, some in synch with the presidential cycle, others out of synch with it. The upshot is that a few states elect their governors in presidential years, but the majority does not. This may well be a deliberate strategy to prevent state gubernatorial politics from being overshadowed by national presidential politics. Would it be fair to reward or punish states based on whether they elected their governors in synch with presidential elections? What would be the effect of this? Would it not incentivize states to synch up with the presidential cycle, and would this not distract more voters from focusing on gubernatorial races?

On the other hand, the senatorial cycle is determined by the Constitution and would be almost impossible to manipulate. One-third of the senate is elected every two years, and this includes presidential years (each state holds two senatorial elections in three presidential years). Conceivably, the Graduated Random System’s scheduling algorithm could be modified to give preference to states holding a senatorial election, placing those states in the earliest interval for which they are eligible based on their number of congressional districts. The simplest change to the algorithm would apply only to regular senatorial elections. It would be more complex to alter the scheduling system to apply to special elections for filling a vacancy. Another consideration is that even when senatorial elections occur in a presidential year, the state may not hold its presidential and senatorial primaries on the same date. When important races are decoupled in this way, does this reduce voter turnout, and if so, should the primary scheduling system withhold preferential treatment to such states? In view of the above discussion as to why so many gubernatorial elections may be decoupled from presidential elections, it should be considered whether it is more desirable to maximize voter turnout for a consolidated primary versus decoupling the presidential and senatorial primaries so that the electorate can focus on each separately.