How the 2028 primary calendar works

Each party picks its presidential nominee through a series of state primaries and caucuses that award delegates to its national convention. The parties set the order, but state laws set most election dates, so the 2028 calendar is still partly unsettled. This is the state of play as of November 2026. The full list, each date with its source, is on our 2028 primary calendar.

Democrats: South Carolina first

On August 15, 2026, the full Democratic National Committee approved an early window that its Rules and Bylaws Committee had chosen in July from twelve applicant states (Ballotpedia, Washington State Standard):

Several of these dates still depend on state legislatures. New Hampshire law requires its primary to be the first in the nation, so the state-run primary may come earlier and the Democrats' February 8 contest may be party-run instead. New Mexico law currently puts its primary in June, and Virginia's is on Super Tuesday (FrontloadingHQ). Iowa, which opened Democratic voting for decades until 2024, is not in the 2028 early window.

Republicans: Iowa first, dates to come

The Republican National Committee's nominating-process committee voted in September 2026 to keep Iowa first, followed by New Hampshire (KTTC). No dates are set. In recent cycles Iowa has voted between early January and early February of the election year (January 15 in 2024), so the first Republican votes will probably come within weeks of South Carolina's Democratic primary.

Super Tuesday: March 7, 2028

The biggest single day comes on Tuesday, March 7, 2028, when about 14 states are scheduled to vote, including California and Texas, the two largest delegate prizes. A strong Super Tuesday has often all but settled a nomination.

How a nominee is chosen

Primaries and caucuses award delegates, and a candidate needs a majority of delegates at the national convention to win the nomination. The conventions are in the summer of 2028. Democrats award delegates in proportion to the vote among candidates who clear 15%. Republican rules vary by state, and many states give all or most of their delegates to the winner.

What polls can tell you this early

National primary polls, such as our Democratic and Republican averages, are a guide to name recognition more than a forecast. Early-state results reshape national numbers fast, and a candidate's standing in South Carolina or Iowa will matter more than a national share in 2027. Our candidates page tracks who has entered. Our countdown counts down to the general election on November 7, 2028.

Numbers on this page are computed from the open dataset each time the site is rebuilt. Method: methodology. Corrections: corrections log.