Some frequently asked questions about the 2016 Presidential Election including primary dates, debate information, conventions, and which candidates are running.

Questions answered below:

1) Who is running for President in 2016?

2) When do the Presidential Primaries start?

3) When do the Presidential Primary Debates start?

4) When do the general election Presidential Debates take place?

5) When do the party conventions take place?

6) How do I attend a presidential or primary debate?



1) Who is running for President in 2016?



On the Republican side, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio have formally announced their 2016 presidential candidacies. There are many other Republicans who may launch a presidential campaign. The major names include Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, and many, many other prominent Republicans. The expected time frame to announce is between January of 2015 and the summer of 2015.

Related: Who’s running for President in 2016?

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is running along with Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and Jim Webb. There is also speculation that Vice President Joe Biden may still decide to launch a presidential campaign as well.



2) When do the Presidential Primaries start?

The presidential primaries begin in February of 2016. As of now, the dates are still being formalized by each state and by the Republican and Democratic national committees. The Iowa caucuses will lead the way followed by the New Hampshire Primary, the South Carolina Primary, and the Nevada caucuses as the early states.

Related: 2016 Primary Schedule

States are allowed to set their own primary dates but they can be penalized by the national committees by way of reducing the number of delegates awarded to the winner of the primary if they upset the order. States are often trying to outdo each other and gain more prominence by moving their primary earlier in the season.



3) When do the Presidential Primary Debates start?

As of now, the Republican National Committee has sanctioned around a dozen debates to begin in August, 2015. These debates will feature all of the Republican candidates who meet a certain level of support in various polls. For example, a debate which takes place near the date of the Iowa caucuses may require that a candidate receive at least 3% support in a poll of Iowa caucus voters before they can appear on the debate stage.

Related: 2016 Republican Primary Debate Schedule

Related: 2016 Democratic Primary Debate Schedule

Related: How to get 2016 Debate Tickets?

The Democratic National Committee has stated it will sponsor six primary debates. Few details have been released other than that they will start in the Fall of 2015 and four of them will take place in early primary states.



4) When do the general election Presidential Debates take place?

The presidential debates between the Republican and Democratic nominees for President will be scheduled for September and October of 2016. The locations and dates of these debates will be announced later in 2015 by the Commission on Presidential Debates. This independent body serves to facilitate the formal debates between the two general election candidates.

Related: 2016 Presidential Debate Schedule (Partner site)



5) When do the party conventions take place?

The Republican National Convention is scheduled to take place from July 18 to July 21, 2016. It will be held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Related: 2016 Republican National Convention

Related: 2016 Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place the week of July 25, 2016. The city of Philadelphia has been chosen to host the convention which will take place at the Wells Fargo Center and the Pennsylvania Convention Center.



6) How do I attend a presidential or primary debate?

Ticketing for the upcoming 2016 primary debates (Democratic Debates, GOP Debates) is usually controlled by the state parties which sponsor the debates. Furthermore, these tickets are usually reserved for friends and families of candidates as well as party officials, and then finally the general public. See our guide on debate tickets for more information:

Related: How to get 2016 Debate Tickets?

For the presidential debates in 2016 between the Republican and Democratic nominee, those tickets are usually controlled by the university hosting the event and given out to students and faculty in a lottery system. It is very difficult for the general public to obtain those debate tickets.

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Last Updated: 8/6/15