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

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

Feb 1: Iowa caucuses
Feb 9: New Hampshire primary

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

Feb 23: Nevada (Rep)
Feb 27: South Carolina (Dem)

MAR

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

Mar 12: District of Columbia (Rep), 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

Apr 5: Wisconsin

Apr 9: Wyoming (Dem)

Apr 19: New York

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

MAY

May 3: Indiana
May 7: Guam (Dem)
May 10: Nebraska (Rep), West Virginia

May 17: Kentucky (Dem), Oregon
May 24: Washington (Rep)

JUN

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

Jun: 5: Puerto Rico (Dem)

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

Jun 14: District of Columbia (Dem)

JUL

Jul 18-21: REPUBLICAN

NATIONAL CONVENTION

Senator Ted Cruz

Donald Trump

(far 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

Jul 25-28: DEMOCRATIC

NATIONAL CONVENTION

Senator Bernie

Sanders

Former Secretary

of State

Hillary Clinton

(far 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

AUG

SEP

OCT

Sep 26: First presidential TV debate
Oct 4: Vice presidential TV debate

Oct 9: Second presidential TV debate
Oct 19: Final presidential TV debate

NOV

Nov 8:

ELECTION DAY

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

DEC

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

Dec 19: Electoral College casts votes
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

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