ROAD TO THE NOMINATION

The states voting first for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees:

• Jan. 3: Iowa Democratic and Republican caucuses

• *Jan. 5: Wyoming Republican nominating convention

• *Jan. 8?: The New Hampshire Democratic and Republican primaries haven't yet been scheduled by the secretary of state, but Jan. 8 is the current best guess for when they'll be held.

• *Jan. 15: Michigan Democratic and Republican primaries; most Democratic candidates have removed their names from the ballot

• Jan. 19: Nevada Democratic and Republican caucuses

• *Jan. 19: South Carolina Republican primary

• Jan. 26: South Carolina Democratic primary

• Jan. 29: Florida Democratic and Republican primaries

• Feb. 2: Maine Republican caucuses

• Feb. 5: "Super-Duper Tuesday"

Democratic and Republican primaries: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah

Democratic and Republican caucuses: Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota

Democratic caucuses: Idaho, New Mexico, Kansas

Republican nominating convention: West Virginia

Republican caucuses: Montana

• February-June: The rest of the states hold contests. When one candidate appears to have enough delegates to win or the rest of the competition drops out, the parties can declare a "presumptive nominee" before the states' primaries and caucuses are over.

* This contest violates the rules of one or both political parties and the state party will be penalized. In the case of New Hampshire, the state Republicans will lose delegates, but the Democrats will not.