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I thought I would add this..
from BellaOnlineThe Difference Between Primaries and Caucuses
The New Year is officially here and the Democratic Party presidential race continues to heat up. What’s on the minds of the candidates lately? Political primary and caucus season, of course. Leading up to the party convention this July in Boston, these elections help determine who will receive the party’s nomination. But, what is the difference between the primaries held in some states and the caucuses held in others, and what is their purpose?
Both primaries and caucuses allow registered voters to influence a political party’s nomination process. Every state is assigned a certain number of delegates (based upon population) who will attend the national convention and vote to select the party nominee. When citizens vote for a particular candidate, they are really voting to allocate their state’s delegates to each candidate. The Democratic Party stipulates that delegates are apportioned based upon the percentage of votes a candidate receives.
In addition to these pledged delegates, the Democratic Party also has unpledged delegates or superdelegates who comprise 15% of the total delegate pool. These superdelegates are high-ranking party and elected officials such as governors, congressional representatives, and DNC members. They may vote to nominate any candidate they choose and are not bound by the state’s popular vote.
The two main ways of assigning delegates are primaries and caucuses. A primary is simply an election that allows voters to go to the polls and cast their ballot for a candidate, thus determining their percentage of the state’s delegates. A caucus is a state convention that provides a public place for party members to gather, hear speeches, and vote for delegates to represent candidates at the national convention. Some states only allow voters to participate in their party’s primary while other states have no party restrictions and allow voters to participate in any one primary they choose.
January 13
District of Columbia
January 19
Iowa
January 27
New Hampshire
February 3
Arizona
Delaware
Missouri
New Mexico
North Dakota
South Carolina
Oklahoma
February 7
Michigan
Washington
February 8
Maine
February 10
Tennessee
Virginia
February 17
Wisconsin
Februrary 24
Idaho
February 27
Utah
March 2
Minnesota
California
Connecticut
Georgia
Hawaii
Maryland
Massachusetts
Missouri
New York
Ohio
Rhode Island
Texas
Vermont
March 9
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
March 13
Kansas
March 14
Nevada*
March 16
Illinois
March 20
Wyoming
April 6
Wisconsin
April 13
Colorado
April 27
Pennsylvania
May 4
Indiana
North Carolina
May 11
Nebraska
West Virginia
May 18
Oregon
Arkansas
Kentucky
May 25
Idaho
May 27
Washington
June 1
Alabama
South Dakota
June 8
Montana
New Jersey
August 24
Alaska*
* NOTE: Both Alaska and Nevada will not hold 2004 primaries. Alaska's official primary will be held on August 24, which is after the Democratic Convention, but we're betting the state party will hold caucuses to select delegates some time in the spring. In 2000, Nevada held its caucuses on March 12. If they stick to the same day of the week, their caucuses would be held on March 14, 2004. If you know more, please email us the info. Thanks.
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