US elections 2020: When are the debates, primaries, conventions?
A guide to all the important dates for the 2020 US presidential election.
The United States is less than three months out from the Iowa caucus, the kick-off event for the 2020 presidential primary and caucus voting season.
After Iowa, a series of primaries and caucuses will be held, leading up to the Democratic and Republican conventions in which the parties will formally choose their candidates.
Until the conventions, at least eight more Democratic debates will be held. After the conventions, at least three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate will take place.
As the election season heats up, here’s a guide to the key dates for the 2020 presidential election:
Key caucuses and primaries*
February 2020
February 3 – Iowa caucuses
February 11 – New Hampshire primaries
February 22 – Nevada caucuses
February 29 – South Carolina primaries
March 2020
March 3 – “Super Tuesday” – Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Democrats abroad primaries and caucuses
March 8 – Puerto Rico Republican primary
March 10 – Hawaii Republican, Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota Democratic and Washington primaries and caucuses
March 12 – Virgin Island Republican caucus
March 14 – Northern Marianas Democratic convention, Guam Republican convention, Wyoming Republican convention, District of Columbia Republican convention
March 17 – Arizona Democratic, Florida, Illinois and Ohio primaries, as well as the Northern Marianas Republican convention
March 21 – Kentucky Republican caucuses
April 2020
April 3 – North Dakota Republican state convention
April 4 – Alaska Democratic and Hawaii Democratic primaries, Louisiana primary and Wyoming Democratic caucuses
April 7 – Wisconsin primaries
April 28 – Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New York primaries
May 2020
May 2 – Kansas and Guam Democratic primaries and caucuses
May 5 – Indiana primaries
May 12 – Nebraska and West Virginia primaries
May 19 – Kentucky Democratic and Oregon primaries
June 2020
June 2 – Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota primaries, District of Columbia Democratic primary
June 6 – Virgin Islands Democratic caucuses
*Dates are subject to change; Republican primaries and caucuses have been cancelled in some states.
National Conventions
July 13-16, 2020 – Democratic National Convention
August 24-27, 2020 – Republican National Convention
Debates
Democratic presidential debates
June 26-27, 2019 – First Democratic debate. Read what the candidates said here and here.
July 30-31, 2019 – Second Democratic debate. Read the key takeaways here and here.
September 12, 2019 – Third Democratic debate. Read what happened here.
October 15, 2019 – Fourth Democratic debate. Read what the candidates said here.
November 20, 2019 – Fifth Democratic debate.
December 19, 2019 – Sixth Democratic debate
January – April, 2020 – Six more Democratic presidential debates will be held.
Presidential debates
September 29, 2020 – First presidential debate
October 7, 2020 – First vice presidential debate
October 15, 2020 – Second presidential debate
October 22 – Third presidential debate
Election day
November 3, 2020