( CNN ) -- A Republican-appointed commission in Florida could turn the 2012 GOP presidential nominating calendar topsy-turvy Friday if it goes ahead with plans to shift the state 's primary to January 31 . The move would flout Republican National Committee rules that forbid any state -- other than the first four early voting states -- from holding a contest before March 6 , likely sparking a chain reaction as those states move their contests into January to protect their roles in the process . Florida 's representatives on the RNC approved the current calendar rules at a meeting last year . But top Florida Republicans have since demanded that their state go fifth in the 2012 process , after the first four `` carve out '' states of Iowa , New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina . RNC officials had been hoping to allow the Sunshine State to move its contest to Feb. 21 , which would still violate party rules but satisfy Florida 's desire to go fifth . Florida Republicans told CNN this week , however , that the prospect of states like Missouri and Colorado also holding caucus or primary contests in February forced their hand . What do you think of the candidates ? A spokeswoman for the RNC said they were still working to keep the calendar intact . `` We 're going to continue working with Florida and other states until the deadline on October 1st to ensure they remain within the Party rules , '' said spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski . `` Any state that violates the rules will lose 50 % of its delegates . '' Florida Republicans , who want a primary date all to themselves , are not budging , even in the face of penalties from the RNC . `` Nothing has changed , '' said Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon . `` I believe Jan. 31st is the right day for Florida and anticipate the committee making that date official . '' Under committee rules , states in violation of the calendar can be stripped of half their delegates to next August 's Republican National Convention in Tampa . RNC members are also mulling stiffer penalties for rule-breaking states , like banishing those delegations to far away hotels in the Tampa area and giving their delegations the worst seats inside the convention hall . A spokesman for the Republican Party of Florida brushed off the threats . `` If there is some process in 24 hours time that ensures Florida as fifth , then I think the commission could be swayed , '' said RPOF spokesman Brian Hughes . `` But short of that , the Speaker 's prediction seems accurate . '' Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn issued a joint statement Thursday with his counterparts from New Hampshire , Nevada and South Carolina , promising to leap ahead of Florida and into January if the Florida commission moves ahead with its plan . `` The four sanctioned , early states have been very clear that we will move together , if necessary , to ensure order as outlined in RNC rules , '' Strawn said . `` If we are forced to change our dates together , we will . '' The first four states would also face penalties if they move from February into January , but South Carolina GOP Chairman Chad Connelly dared the RNC to punish his state if Florida triggers the chaos . Connelly said he would wait until after Florida finalizes its primary date before naming South Carolina 's date . Georgia , which had flirted with moving up its primary date , decided to hold its primary on March 6 , in compliance with committee calendar rules .
Florida aims to move primary date to January 31 . Traditional early states would then be forced to leapfrog their dates into early January . This is because the first votes of 2016 are cast in Iowa and New Hampshire, which hold caucuses on February 1. Comment: States must submit their primary and caucuses to the Republican National Committee by Saturday .