Publication

This report answers frequently asked questions about presidential primaries and caucuses, and the national party nominating conventions that follow them. The nominating process elicits questions because it relies on a dense matrix of national and state party rules and state election laws to conduct the primaries and caucuses, and it proceeds according to a seemingly haphazard calendar of events. Furthermore, the conventions officially select the presidential candidates, but the nominating contest is almost always resolved earlier, during the primary season, as soon as one candidate can claim a majority of delegates. The role of the modern conventions is to officially ratify the primary season results.