Daily Kos Elections 2020 primary calendar

by Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff Emeritus

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020 Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020 at 10:04:43am PST

A voter drops off an absentee ballot on March 17, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio after Ohio Primaries were canceled. - Ohio health officials ordered the state's polling stations closed for Tuesday's Democratic primary, as the governor defied a court ruling and declared a health emergency over coronavirus.'While the polls will be closed tomorrow, Secretary of State @FrankLaRose will seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity' at a later date, Governor Mike DeWine said late Monday on Twitter. (Photo by Megan JELINGER / AFP) (Photo by MEGAN JELINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

Below you’ll find Daily Kos Elections’ calendar of major-party filing deadlines, primaries, and runoffs for the 2020 elections. Note that the dates listed in the first three columns below are for each state’s congressional and state primaries. The last column lists the date for each state’s Democratic presidential primary (or caucus). Dates in bold reflect simultaneous presidential and downballot primaries. Shaded cells reflect dates that have been changed.

For a chronological version of this calendar, click here. For our calendar of key downballot races in 2020, click here.

STATE	Filing Deadline	Downballot PRIMARY	RUNOFF	Presidential Primary
ALABAMA	8-Nov-19	3-Mar	14-Jul	3-Mar
ALASKA	1-Jun	18-Aug		10-Apr
ARIZONA	6-Apr	4-Aug		17-Mar
ARKANSAS	12-Nov-19	3-Mar	31-Mar	3-Mar
CALIFORNIA	6-Dec-19	3-Mar		3-Mar
COLORADO	17-Mar	30-Jun		3-Mar
CONNECTICUT	11-Jun	11-Aug		11-Aug
DELAWARE	14-Jul	15-Sep		7-Jul
FLORIDA	24-Apr	18-Aug		17-Mar
GEORGIA	6-Mar	9-Jun	11-Aug	9-Jun
HAWAII	2-Jun	8-Aug		22-May
IDAHO	13-Mar	2-Jun		10-Mar
ILLINOIS	2-Dec-19	17-Mar		17-Mar
INDIANA	7-Feb	2-Jun		2-Jun
IOWA	13-Mar	2-Jun		3-Feb
KANSAS	1-Jun	4-Aug		2-May
KENTUCKY	10-Jan	23-Jun		23-Jun
LOUISIANA	24-Jul	3-Nov	5-Dec	11-Jul
MAINE	16-Mar	14-Jul		3-Mar
MARYLAND	24-Jan	2-Jun		2-Jun
MASSACHUSETTS	5-May	1-Sep		3-Mar
MICHIGAN	8-May	4-Aug		10-Mar
MINNESOTA	2-Jun	11-Aug		3-Mar
MISSISSIPPI	10-Jan	10-Mar	23-Jun	10-Mar
MISSOURI	31-Mar	4-Aug		10-Mar
STATE	Filing Deadline	Downballot Primary	Runoff	Presidential Primary
MONTANA	9-Mar	2-Jun		2-Jun
NEBRASKA	2-Mar	12-May		12-May
NEVADA	13-Mar	9-Jun		22-Feb
NEW HAMPSHIRE	12-Jun	8-Sep		11-Feb
NEW JERSEY	30-Mar	7-Jul		7-Jul
NEW MEXICO	10-Mar	2-Jun		2-Jun
NEW YORK	2-Apr	23-Jun		23-Jun
NORTH CAROLINA	20-Dec-19	3-Mar	23-Jun	3-Mar
NORTH DAKOTA	6-Apr	9-Jun		10-Mar
OHIO	18-Dec-19	28-Apr		28-Apr
OKLAHOMA	10-Apr	30-Jun	25-Aug	3-Mar
OREGON	10-Mar	19-May		19-May
PENNSYLVANIA	18-Feb	2-Jun		2-Jun
RHODE ISLAND	24-Jun	8-Sep		2-Jun
SOUTH CAROLINA	30-Mar	9-Jun	23-Jun	29-Feb
SOUTH DAKOTA	31-Mar	2-Jun	11-Aug	2-Jun
TENNESSEE	2-Apr	6-Aug		3-Mar
TEXAS	9-Dec-19	3-Mar	14-Jul	3-Mar
UTAH	19-Mar	30-Jun		3-Mar
VERMONT	28-May	11-Aug		3-Mar
VIRGINIA	26-Mar	23-Jun		3-Mar
WASHINGTON	15-May	4-Aug		10-Mar
WEST VIRGINIA	25-Jan	9-Jun		9-Jun
WISCONSIN	1-Jun	11-Aug		7-Apr
WYOMING	29-May	18-Aug		17-Apr
State	Filing Deadline	Downballot Primary	Runoff	Presidential Primary

Changes

Alabama has moved its primary runoffs from March 31 to July 14.
Alaska Democrats have canceled in-person voting for their presidential primary (which had been scheduled for April 4) and will accept mail ballots until April 10.
Connecticut has moved its presidential primary from June 2 to Aug. 11. Previously, the primary was moved from April 28 to June 2. The state has also moved its filing deadline from June 9 to June 11.
Delaware has moved its presidential primary from June 2 to July 7. Previously, the primary was moved from April 28 to June 2.
Georgia has moved its presidential and downballot primaries from May 19 to June 9 and its primary runoffs from July 21 to Aug. 11. Previously, the presidential primary was moved from March 24 to May 19.
Hawaii Democrats have canceled in-person voting for their presidential primary (which had been scheduled for April 4) and will accept mail ballots until May 22.
Idaho has moved its downballot primaries from May 19 to June 2.
Indiana has moved its presidential and downballot primaries from May 5 to June 2.
Kentucky has moved its presidential and downballot primaries from May 19 to June 23.
Louisiana has moved its presidential primary from June 20 to July 11. Previously, the primary was moved from April 4 to June 20. The state has also moved its filing deadline from July 17 to July 24.
Maine has moved its downballot primaries from June 9 to July 14.
Maryland has moved its presidential and downballot primaries from April 28 to June 2.
Michigan has moved its filing deadline from April 21 to May 8.
Mississippi has moved its primary runoffs from March 31 to June 23.
New Jersey has moved its presidential and downballot primaries from June 2 to July 7.
New York has moved its presidential primary from April 28 to June 23. Previously, the primary was canceled, but a federal court reinstated it.
North Carolina has moved its primary runoffs from May 12 to June 23.
Ohio has canceled in-person voting for its presidential and downballot primaries, which were scheduled for March 17. The governor signed a bill allowing mail voting to continue through April 28.
Pennsylvania has moved its presidential and downballot primaries from April 28 to June 2.
Puerto Rico Democrats have rescheduled their presidential primary for July 12. Previously, the primary was moved from March 29 to April 26, then delayed indefinitely.
Rhode Island has moved its presidential primary from April 28 to June 2.
Texas has moved its primary runoffs from May 26 to July 14.
Virginia has moved its downballot primaries from June 9 to June 23.
West Virginia has moved its presidential and downballot primaries from May 12 to June 9.
Wyoming Democrats have canceled in-person voting for their presidential primary (which had been scheduled for April 4) and will accept mail ballots until April 17.

Runoffs

Primary runoffs between the top two vote-getters may take place in some states if no candidate receives over a certain threshold of the vote in the primary:
- 30% in North Carolina (only if requested by the runner-up)
- 35% in South Dakota
- 50% in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.
Georgia conducts a general election runoff between the top two vote-getters for state races on Dec. 1 and for congressional races on Jan. 5, 2021, if no candidate receives a majority on Nov. 3.
Louisiana conducts a general election runoff between the top two vote-getters on Dec. 5 if no candidate receives a majority on Nov. 3.

Filing Deadlines

All filing deadlines on the calendar above are for major-party candidates and only apply to congressional and statewide races unless noted below. Independent and third-party candidates, or contests for other races (including the presidential race), may be subject to different deadlines.
Georgia’s secretary of state has set the filing deadline for the special Senate election for March 6.
California's filing deadline is extended five days (to December 11, 2019) in races where no incumbents file for reelection.
Florida’s filing deadline for state candidates is June 19.
Massachusetts requires candidates to file with local election officials by May 5, then requires them to file again with the secretary of the commonwealth by June 2. The first step is therefore necessary but not sufficient for candidates to appear on the primary ballot.
Nebraska’s filing deadline for incumbents, regardless of whether they are seeking reelection or another office, is Feb. 18.
Utah requires candidates to file a declaration of candidacy with the lieutenant governor’s office by March 19, then either turn in sufficient signatures by April 11 or win sufficient support at a party convention on April 25. The first step is therefore necessary but not sufficient for candidates to appear on the primary ballot.

Conventions

Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, and Utah parties conduct conventions prior to their primaries that can impact primary ballot access.
Indiana, Michigan, and South Dakota parties select nominees for downballot statewide office (such as attorney general and secretary of state) at conventions.
Iowa parties conduct conventions to select nominees if no candidate receives over 35% of the vote in the primary.
Minnesota parties conduct conventions after which candidates who fail to win their party’s endorsement often (but by no means always) drop out.
Virginia parties, at their discretion, may select nominees at conventions rather than via primaries.

Below is a table containing dates of key 2020 party conventions, though these dates are subject to change.

State	Democrats	Republicans
Colorado	18-Apr	18-Apr
Connecticut	Congressional: 27-May Statewide: 10-Jun	Congressional: TBD Statewide: 26-May
Indiana	13-Jun (online)	10-Jul (by mail)
Iowa	13-Jun	13-Jun
Massachusetts	~~30-May~~ CANCELED	None
Michigan	29-Aug	29-Aug
Minnesota	Statewide: 30-31 May	Statewide: 15-16 May MN-02: 3-May
New Mexico	7-Mar	7-Mar
New York	TBD	None
North Dakota	~~19-22 Mar~~ CANCELED	27-28 Mar
Utah	24-25 Apr (online)	25-Apr (online)
Virginia	Statewide: None	Statewide: None VA-05: 13-Jun VA-07: 18-Jul

Sources: Green Papers, Run For Office, Frontloading HQ, state elections sites and statutes