The series of
presidential primary elections and caucuses held in each U.S. state and territory is part of the nominating process of
United States presidential elections. This process was never included in the
United States Constitution; it was created over time by the political parties. Some states hold only
primary elections, some hold only
caucuses, and others use a combination of both. These primaries and caucuses are staggered generally between January and June before the general election in November. The primary elections are run by state and local governments, while caucuses are private events that are directly run by the political parties themselves. A state's primary election or caucus is usually an
indirect election: instead of voters directly selecting a particular person running for President, they determine how many delegates each party's
national convention will receive from their respective state. These delegates then in turn select their party's presidential nominee.