US elections 2020: When are the debates, primaries, conventions?

A guide to all the important dates for the 2020 US presidential election.

Democratic debate
Some of the Democratic presidential candidates stand on the stage at one of the debate [File: Mike Blake/Reuters]

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.

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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

US Trump
US President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota [File: Leah Millis/Reuters]

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.

Democratic debate
Democratic presidential candidates before a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by ABC at Texas Southern University in Houston [File: David J Phillip/AP Photo]

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

Source: Al Jazeera