What are primaries and caucuses?

#How a primary works

In a primary, voters cast private ballots. The results decide each party’s nominees or, in some states, the finalists for the general election. Who may vote depends on state law and party rules:

• Closed: only voters registered with a party can vote in its primary. Pennsylvania uses this system.
• Open: voters do not have to be registered with a party.
• In between: some states let voters who are not in any party choose one party’s ballot.

#Top-two and other systems

California and Washington do not hold party primaries for most offices. All candidates run on one primary ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, even if both are from the same party. Alaska, Louisiana and Nebraska use other arrangements for some offices. These rules can change, so check with your state election office before each election.

#How a caucus works

A caucus is run by a political party, not by the state. Members meet at the precinct, county or district level. Some caucuses use private ballots, while at others supporters gather in groups for their candidate. In the 2024 presidential race, at least one major party used caucuses in 9 states: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Both major parties held primaries in the other 41.

#From delegates to a nominee

In presidential races, primary and caucus results decide how many delegates each candidate wins in a state. Those delegates represent the state at the party’s national convention, held in the summer of the election year. To be nominated, a candidate needs a majority of delegate votes. Parties are private organizations, so their own rules shape this process more than federal or state election law does.

#After the primary

Winning a primary makes someone a nominee or a finalist, not an officeholder. The general election in November decides who takes office. Some places hold a runoff when no candidate wins a majority. Maine counts its ballots for president by ranked choice, a method in which voters rank the candidates in order.