The Green Papers
The Green Papers
Historical Data

Use of the DIRECT PRIMARY
in the several States of the Union since 1912

NOTE: Only STATES of the American Union are included in the table below: information as regards the Direct Primary (including PRESIDENTIAL Primaries) in Territories- either Incorporated or Unincorporated- of the United States of America is not herein provided.

A SPRING Primary is any Direct Primary scheduled for on or before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June of the given Election Year;
A SUMMER Primary is any Direct Primary not scheduled for either the SPRING or the FALL as defined herein;
A FALL Primary is any Direct Primary scheduled for on or after the last Tuesday in August of the given Election Year.

In cases where States have also authorized a Runoff (that is: a Second Ballot in cases where the original Direct Primary for a given nomination is not considered to have been decisive [usually- but not always- because no candidate for nomination received a majority of the vote in the original Primary]), only the scheduled date of the original Direct Primary is considered as regards the numerical data in the table below (with the sole exception that, where a STATE might have used its scheduled Runoff date for its PRESIDENTIAL Primary, it is still counted as having held said Presidential Primary at the same time as a STATE/FEDERAL Direct Primary in that Election Year).

A STATE having authorized a PRESIDENTIAL Primary does not necessarily mean such a Primary was utilized in a given Presidential Election Year (it simply means that a Presidential Primary- of any type [direct election of delegates, presidential preference (whether advisory or not) or both]- was not only authorized by State Law but also scheduled for a particular date, whether or not the Presidential Primary was actually held);
The Total number of STATES authorizing Direct Primaries in a given Election Year may not include some States which have authorized such Primaries for nominations to other elective office below the State and/or Congressional District level (for instance: a State which continued to nominate candidates for both STATE and FEDERAL Office- including its only Member of Congress [where such might be the Census-based apportionment of Representatives to it]- via Convention, rather than a Direct Primary would not be included in these statistics).

 
Election YearTotal number of STATESSTATES authorizing Direct Primaries for nominations to STATEwide and/or FEDERAL OfficeSTATES authorizing PRESIDENTIAL PrimariesPRESIDENTIAL Primaries at same time as STATE/FEDERAL Direct Primaries
TOTAL STATE/FEDERAL Direct Primariesin SPRINGin SUMMERin FALL
1912483881416156
1914484051718----
19164843111319228
1918484361819----
19204843111517229
1922484381718----
19244843111418219
1926484381817----
192848431315151911
1930484371917----
193248431514141811
19344843101716----
193648431315151611
1938484481818----
194048451512181611
1942484591719----
19444845162631611
1946484513302----
194848461617131612
19504846151813----
195248461618121712
19544846151912----
195648471914141915
19584948161715----
196050492313131714
19625049221314----
196450492214131815
19665049161617----
196850491614191613
19705049181219----
197250501916152215
19745050191219----
197650502210182916
19785050181121----
19805050208223519
1982505022820----
198450502010203320
19865050201218----
198850502014163617
19905050201119----
199250502110194020
19945050201416----
199650502112174118
19985050201218----
200050502114154220
20025050201119----
200450502412143819
20065050201614----
200850502215134016
2010505025169----
 

Related pages:

Modified .