2012 Presidential Primaries,
Caucuses, and Conventions
Major Events
Chronologically

Donkey and Elephant Democratic
Convention

*Tuesday 4 September - Thursday 6 September 2012: 46th Democratic National Convention
Republican
Convention

*Monday 27 August - Thursday 30 August 2012: 40th Republican National Convention
Tuesday 3 January 2012*Iowa Caucus1*Iowa Caucus
Tuesday 10 January 2012*New Hampshire Primary1*New Hampshire Primary
Saturday 21 January 2012*Nevada Non-binding Precinct Viability Caucuses1*South Carolina Primary
Saturday 28 January 2012*South Carolina Presidential Primary/Precinct Reorganization meeting1 
Sunday 29 January - Saturday 3 March 2012 *Maine Municipal Caucuses / non-binding straw poll
Tuesday 31 January 2012 *Florida Primary
Saturday 4 February 2012 *Nevada Precinct Caucuses
Tuesday 7 February 2012*Missouri Primary1*Colorado Precinct Caucuses
*Minnesota Precinct Caucuses / non-binding straw poll
Sunday 26 February 2012*Maine Municipal Caucuses 
Tuesday 28 February 2012 *Arizona Primary
*Michigan Primary
Saturday 3 March 2012 *Washington Precinct Caucuses / Non-binding Straw Poll
Tuesday 6 March 2012*American Samoa Territorial Caucus1
*Colorado Precinct Caucus1
*Georgia Primary1
*Massachusetts Primary1
*Ohio Primary1
*Oklahoma Primary1
*Tennessee Primary1
*Virginia Primary (only 1 candidate qualified - primary cancelled)1
*Vermont Primary1
*Georgia Primary
*Idaho County Caucuses
*Massachusetts Primary
*North Dakota Caucus
*Ohio Primary
*Oklahoma Primary
*Tennessee Primary
*Virginia Primary
*Vermont Primary
Tuesday 6 March - Saturday 10 March 2012 *Wyoming County Conventions
Tuesday 6 March - Saturday 24 March 2012 *Alaska District Conventions
Tuesday 6 March - Saturday 31 March 2012*Maine County Conventions1 
Tuesday 6 March - Sunday 8 April 2012*Minnesota Organizing Unit Conventions1 
Wednesday 7 March 2012*Hawaii Precinct Caucus1 
Saturday 10 March 2012 *Guam Territorial Caucus
*Kansas Caucuses
*Northern Marianas Commonwealth Convention
*Virgin Islands Territorial Caucus
Tuesday 13 March 2012*Alabama Primary1
*Mississippi Primary1
*Utah Caucuses1
*Alabama Primary
*American Samoa Territorial Caucus
*Hawaii Precinct Caucuses
*Mississippi Primary
Thursday 15 March - Saturday 24 March 2012 *Missouri County Caucuses
Sunday 18 March 2012 *Puerto Rico Primary
Tuesday 20 March 2012*Illinois Primary1*Illinois Primary
Saturday 24 March 2012*Louisiana Primary1*Louisiana Primary
Friday 30 March - Monday 23 April 2012 *Kansas Congressional District Conventions
Saturday 31 March 2012*Arizona Congressional District Caucuses1 
Saturday 31 March - Sunday 22 April 2012 *Minnesota District Conventions
Tuesday 3 April 2012*District of Columbia Primary1
*Maryland Primary1
*Wisconsin Primary1
*District of Columbia Primary
*Maryland Primary
*Wisconsin Primary
Saturday 7 April 2012 *Tennessee State Executive Committee (tentative date)
Tuesday 10 April - Saturday 14 April 2012*Alaska Precinct / House District Caucuses1 
Thursday 12 April - Friday 13 April 2012 *Colorado District Conventions
Thursday 12 April - Saturday 14 April 2012 *Wyoming Convention
Saturday 14 April 2012*Idaho County Caucus1
*Kansas Local Unit Conventions1
*Nebraska Precinct Caucuses1
*Wyoming County Caucuses1
*Colorado State Convention
Sunday 15 April 2012*Washington Precinct Caucuses1 
Saturday 21 April 2012*Texas County/Senatorial District Conventions1 
Tuesday 24 April 2012*Connecticut Primary (only 1 candidate - no primary will be held)1
*New York Primary1
*Pennsylvania Primary1
*Rhode Island Primary1
*Connecticut Primary
*Delaware Primary
*New York Primary
*Pennsylvania Primary
*Rhode Island Primary
Thursday 26 April - Saturday 28 April 2012 *Alaska State Convention
Saturday 28 April 2012*Iowa District Conventions*Kansas State Party Committee Meeting
Tuesday 1 May - Sunday 6 May 2012*Democrats Abroad Global Primary1 
Tuesday 1 May - Wednesday 30 May 2012*Delaware Representative District Caucuses / Party-run Primary1 
Thursday 3 May 2012*District of Columbia State Party Committee 
Saturday 5 May 2012*Florida County Caucuses1
*Guam Territorial Caucus (Party run primary)1
*Michigan Precinct Caucuses1
 
Saturday 5 May - Sunday 6 May 2012 *Maine District Caucuses and State Convention
*Nevada State Convention
Tuesday 8 May 2012*Indiana Primary1
*North Carolina Primary1
*West Virginia Primary1
*Indiana Primary
*North Carolina Primary
*West Virginia Primary
Friday 11 May - Sunday 13 May 2012*Alaska State Party Convention 
Saturday 12 May 2012*Maryland State Democratic Central Committee Meeting 
Tuesday 15 May 2012*Oregon Primary1*Oregon Primary
Friday 18 May - Saturday 19 May 2012 *Minnesota State Convention
Saturday 19 May - Sunday 20 May 2012*Democrats Abroad Global Convention 
Saturday 19 May - Friday 1 June 2012*Colorado District Conventions 
Sunday 20 May 2012*Washington Congressional District Caucuses 
Tuesday 22 May 2012*Arkansas Primary1
*Kentucky Primary1
*Arkansas Primary
*Kentucky Primary
Saturday 26 May 2012*Wyoming State Convention 
Tuesday 29 May 2012 *Texas Primary
Wednesday 30 May - Thursday 31 May 2012 *New York State Committee
Wednesday 30 May - Saturday 2 June 2012 *Washington State Convention
Friday 1 June - Sunday 3 June 2012*Washington State Convention 
Saturday 2 June 2012*Colorado State Convention*Missouri State Convention
Saturday 2 June - Sunday 3 June 2012*Maine State Convention.
*Virgin Islands Territorial Convention1
 
Sunday 3 June 2012*Puerto Rico Senate District Caucuses1 
Tuesday 5 June 2012*California Primary1
*Montana Primary1
*North Dakota Legislative District Caucus1
*New Jersey Primary1
*New Mexico Primary1
*South Dakota Primary1
*California Primary
*New Jersey Primary
*New Mexico Primary
*South Dakota Primary
Friday 8 June - Saturday 9 June 2012*Texas State Convention*Illinois Convention
*Indiana State Convention
Saturday 9 June 2012*Kansas State Convention*New Mexico State Republican Convention
Saturday 9 June - Sunday 10 June 2012*Nevada State Convention 
Sunday 10 June 2012 *Pennsylvania Summer Meeting (tentative date)
Thursday 14 June - Saturday 16 June 2012*Idaho State Convention*Montana State Convention
Saturday 16 June 2012*Arkansas Special State Convention
*Iowa State Convention
*North Dakota State Delegate Selection Meeting
*Iowa State Convention
Saturday 23 June 2012*Nebraska State Convention 
Sunday 24 June 2012*California Delegation Meeting 
Tuesday 26 June 2012 *Utah Primary
Saturday 14 July 2012 *Nebraska State Convention
 

* Major event or National Convention delegates allocated.
1 Democratic Party's "First Determining Step" of the delegate selection process.

Notes: Thursday 1 March 2012: Democratic unpledged delegates are automatically selected.

 


  Election 2012 - Presidential Primary, Caucus, and Convention Home  
 
  Presidential Candidates  
 
Rule Making and Process
  30 December 2009 - Democratic Change Commission's Recommendations for the 2012 Presidential Nominating Process  
  20 August 2010 - Democratic National Committee approves 2012 Call To Convention and Delegate Selection Rules  
  6 August 2010 - Republican Temporary Delegate Selection Committee's Recommendations for the 2012 Presidential Nominating Process  
 
  States Alphabetically  
  Events Chronologically  
  Major Events Chronologically  
  Democratic "First Determining Step" Chronologically  
 
  Chronological Cumulative Allocation of Delegates  
  Weekly Delegate Distribution and Availability  
  Democratic Pledged and Unpledged Summary   --   Republican Pledged and Unpledged Summary  
  Democratic Hard and Floor Summary   --   Republican Hard and Floor Summary  
 
Delegate Allocation
  Democratic Quick Reference   --   Republican Quick Reference  
  Democratic Detailed Delegate Allocation   --   Republican Detailed Delegate Allocation  
 
  Democratic Delegate Selection and Voter Eligibility   --   Republican Delegate Selection and Voter Eligibility  
 
  Primaries at a Glance  
 
Documentation
  Historical Analysis of the Presidential Nominating Process  
  Historical Analysis of the apportionment of delegate votes at the National Conventions of the two major parties  
  Primary/Caucus/Convention Glossary  
  Statutory Election Information of the Several states / Presidential Primary  
  Dates of PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES re: selection and/or allocation/distribution of Delegates to Major Party National Conventions  
 
  Major Third Party (Constitution, Green, Libertarian) Presidential Nomination Process  
 
  Straw Polls