Road to the White House

Votes cast in primaries and caucuses select delegates to attend each party’s national convention. Delegates* are “pledged” to presidential candidates based on the results of the primaries or caucuses

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Feb: Four so-called carve-out states hold primaries and caucuses

Mar 1: Super Tuesday elections in 14 states, and American Samoa territory, will narrow Republicans’ crowded field. Democrat and Republican primaries/caucuses in Alabama, Alaska (Rep), American Samoa (Dem), Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota (Rep), Oklahoma,
Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming (Rep)

Mar 5: Primaries or caucuses in Kansas, Kentucky (Rep), Louisiana, Maine (Rep), Nebraska (Dem)

Mar 6: Maine (Dem), Puerto Rico (Rep)

Mar 8: Hawaii (Rep), Idaho (Rep), Michigan, Mississippi

Apr 5: Wisconsin

Apr 9: Wyoming (Dem)

May 3: Indiana

May 7: Guam (Dem)

May 10: Nebraska (Rep), West Virginia

Jun 4: U.S. Virgin Islands (Dem)

Jun: 5 Puerto Rico (Dem)

Jul 18-21: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

Senator Ted Cruz

Donald Trump (right)

*Both conventions include superdelegates that can vote for any candidate. Votes from 1,238 of 2,475 delegates are needed to win nomination. 278 superdelegates mostly oppose Trump

Sep 26: First presidential TV debate

Oct 4: Vice presidential TV debate

Nov 8: ELECTION DAY

Electoral College: Institution that elects President and Vice President.
There are 538 electors, corresponding to all 535 members of Congress plus three additional electors from District of Columbia

Feb 1: Iowa caucuses

Feb 9: New Hampshire primary

Feb 20: Nevada caucuses (Dem) and
South Carolina primary (Rep)

Feb 23: Nevada caucuses (Rep)

Feb 27: South Carolina primary (Dem)

Mar 12: District of Columbia (Dem) Guam (Rep) Northern Mariana Islands (Dem)

Mar 15: Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Northern Mariana
Islands (Rep), Ohio

Mar 19: U.S. Virgin Islands (Rep)

Mar 22: American Samoa (Rep), Arizona, Idaho (Dem), Utah caucuses

Mar 26: Alaska (Dem), Hawaii (Dem), Washington (Dem)

Apr 19: New York

Apr 26: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island

May 17: Kentucky (Dem), Oregon

May 24: Washington (Rep)

Jun 7: California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota (Dem), South Dakota

Jun 14: District of Columbia (Rep)

Jul 25-28: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Senator Bernie Sanders

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (left)

Votes from 2,385 of 4,768 delegates are needed to win Democrat nomination. Clinton’s campaign claims commitments from more than 500 superdelegates

Oct 9: Second presidential TV debate

Oct 19: Final presidential TV debate

Popular vote: In 2000, Al Gore won 543,895 more popular votes than George W. Bush but failed to win in Electoral College

Electoral College casts votes
Dec 19: Candidate that receives absolute majority of 270 Electoral College votes is elected President. In 2000, George W. Bush won 271 electoral
votes to Al Gore’s 266 (one elector abstained)

Sources: Election Central, Real Clear Politics, dates as at Jan 8, 2016

Pictures: Associated Press, Getty Images