Fate of winning candidates following Iowa and New Hampshire primaries 1972-2020
from caucuses to primaries in 2016.
In the build up to each US presidential election, primaries and caucuses are used by the major parties to nominate their candidate for the general election. A primary election is run by the state and local governments, whereas the caucuses are private events that are organized and administered by the respective parties. Primaries involve voters going to the ballot box to decide who their respective candidates will vote for in the respective national conventions. Most states conduct "open primaries" that are open to all eligible voters; while a few states conduct "closed primaries" that are only open to party members. In contrast to this, caucuses involve party members meeting at events where they then discuss who they will vote for, although this system is gradually being phased out, with ten states switching