Election Dates

Caucuses versus Primaries

A caucus is operated by members of a political party – and not by a government entity – and can last 15 minutes to several hours. They are usually open only to registered voters of the party conducting the caucus. Participants gather and hear speeches and engage in debate and discussion before voting for candidates. Caucuses require publicly announcing your vote. The results of the caucus are used to determine the delegates present at county, state and national nominating conventions of each political party. In other words, the initial caucus does not determine the delegates who will represent the candidates in the National Convention.

Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa are the only states to rely solely on caucuses. Fewer people vote in caucuses than in primaries.

Primaries are a direct, statewide process of selecting candidates and delegates. They are operated by state and local governments using the same equipment as a general election. In an open primary, all registered voters, including registered Independents, can vote for any candidate, regardless of their political affiliation. In a closed primary, voters may vote only for candidates of the party they’re registered with.

2012 Primaries and Caucuses

These dates are believed to be accurate but last minute changes could occur.