News and analysis right to your inbox. Click to get Ballotpedia’s newsletters!

Non-primary nominations for major party candidates

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Election Policy Banner 2024.png


Election Policy VNT Logo.png
Primary election
Primary elections by state
Closed primary
Open primary
Semi-closed primary
Top-two primary
Final-five voting
Non-primary nominations
Primary cancellations
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its election administration.

Generally, political parties use primary elections to determine their nominees in advance of a general election. In some cases, however, political parties can nominate candidates for the general election without conducting a primary election. This article identifies states in which major political parties[1] can nominate general election candidates for statewide office, Congress, or state legislature via party meeting (e.g., caucuses or conventions) instead of primaries.[2][3] This article does not include alternative means of partisan nomination for judicial or presidential candidates, which are often governed by different statutes and may have different nomination processes than what is used for statewide, congressional, or legislative candidates.

States can be grouped into three categories:

  • Alternative means of nomination (e.g., caucuses or conventions) allowed for any statewide office,
  • Alternative means of nomination (e.g., caucuses or conventions) required for some statewide offices, or
  • Primaries required for all statewide offices (excluding lieutenant governor),[4]


As of February 2026:
  • In three states — Alabama, South Carolina, and Virginia — major political parties may nominate candidates for any statewide office by a method other than a primary election.[5]
  • In three states — Indiana, Michigan, and South Dakota — major political parties are required to nominate candidates for some offices by a method other than a primary election.
  • In 44 states, state law requires primaries for all statewide offices.

    • States that provide for nominations via party meeting instead of primary

    The map and table below identify how major political parties may nominate their general election candidates for statewide office as of February 2026.

    Partisan candidate nomination methods by state
    StateMeans of nominationStatute or source
    Alabama[6]Alternative means of nomination allowed for any statewide office. A political party's state executive committee is presumed to nominate its candidates for the general election via the state's primary election laws; however, primary elections are not required. A party must file a notice opting out of the primary system at least 60 days before the primary election occurs.Ala. Code § 17-13-42
    Alaska[7]Primaries required for all statewide officesAlaska Stat. § 15.25.010
    Arizona[8][9]Primaries required for all statewide officesAriz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-301 & Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-302
    Arkansas[10]Primaries required for all statewide officesArk. Code. Ann. § 7-7-102
    California[11]Primaries required for all statewide officesCal. Const. art. II, § 5
    Colorado[12]Primaries required for all statewide officesColo. Rev. Stat. § 1-4-101
    Connecticut[13][14][15]Primaries required for all statewide offices[16]Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 9-382, Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 9-400 & Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 9-415
    Delaware[17]Primaries required for all statewide officesDel. Code Ann. tit. 15 § 3101A
    Florida[18]Primaries required for all statewide officesFla. Stat. § 100.061
    Georgia[19]Primaries required for all statewide officesGa. Code § 21-2-130
    Hawaii[20]Primaries required for all statewide officesHaw. Rev. Stat. § 12-1
    Idaho[21]Primaries required for all statewide officesIdaho Code § 34-703
    Illinois[22]Primaries required for all statewide officesIll. Comp. Stat. ch. 10, § 7-1
    Indiana[23][24][25]Alternative means of nomination are required for some statewide offices. Candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, and attorney general are nominated at party conventions.Ind. Code §§ 3-8-4-2, Ind. Code §§ 3-10-1-2 & Ind. Code §§ 3-10-1-4
    Iowa[26]Primaries required for all statewide offices[27]Iowa Code § 43.3
    Kansas[28]Primaries required for all statewide officesKan. Stat. Ann. § 25-202
    Kentucky[29]Primaries required for all statewide officesKy. Rev. Stat. § 118.105
    Louisiana[30]Primaries required for all statewide offices[31]La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:401
    Maine[32]Primaries required for all statewide officesMe. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A § 331
    Maryland[33]Primaries required for all statewide officesMd. Election Law Code Ann. § 8-202
    Massachusetts[34][35]Primaries required for all statewide officesMass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 53, § 2 & Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 53, § 88
    Michigan[36][37][38][39][40]Alternative means of nomination are required for some statewide offices. Candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Supreme Court, the boards of Michigan State University, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, and the state Board of Education are nominated at party conventionsMich. Comp. Laws § 168.282, Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.282a, Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.392, Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.534 & Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.72
    Minnesota[41]Primaries required for all statewide officesMinn. Stat. § 204D.03
    Mississippi[42]Primaries required for all statewide officesMiss. Code Ann. § 23-15-291
    Missouri[43]Primaries required for all statewide officesMo. Rev. Stat. § 115.339
    Montana[44]Primaries required for all statewide officesMont. Code Ann. § 13-10-601
    Nebraska[45]Primaries required for all statewide offices[46]Neb. Rev. Stat. § 32-401
    Nevada[47]Primaries required for all statewide officesNev. Rev. Stat. § 293-175
    New Hampshire[48]Primaries required for all statewide officesN.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 655:14-a
    New Jersey[49]Primaries required for all statewide officesN.J. Rev. Stat. § 19:13-1
    New Mexico[50]Primaries required for all statewide officesN.M. Stat. Ann. § 1-8-1
    New York[51]Primaries required for all statewide officesN.Y. Election Law § 6-110
    North Carolina[52]Primaries required for all statewide officesN.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-1
    North Dakota[53]Primaries required for all statewide officesN.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-11-01
    Ohio[54]Primaries required for all statewide officesOhio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.01
    Oklahoma[55]Primaries required for all statewide officesOkla. Stat. tit. 26, § 1-102
    Oregon[56]Primaries required for all statewide officesOr. Rev. Stat. § 248.007
    Pennsylvania[57]Primaries required for all statewide officesPa. Stat. tit. 25, § 902
    Rhode Island[58]Primaries required for all statewide officesR.I. Gen. Laws § 17-15-7
    South Carolina[59]Alternative means of nomination allowed for any statewide office. A political party may nominate its candidates via convention only if "there is a three-fourths vote of the total membership of the convention to use the convention nomination process" and "a majority of voters in that party's next primary election approve the use of the convention nomination process."[59]S.C. Code Ann. § 7-11-30
    South Dakota[60]Alternative means of nomination are required for some statewide offices. Candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, commissioner of school and public lands, and public utilities commissioner are nominated at party conventions.S.D. Codified Laws § 12-5-21
    Tennessee[61]Primaries required for all statewide officesTenn. Code Ann. § 2-13-202
    Texas[62]Primaries required for all statewide officesTex. Elec. Code Ann. § 172.001
    Utah[63][64][65][66]Primaries required for all statewide offices[67]Utah Code Ann. § 20A-9-403. Utah Code Ann. § 20A-9-407 & Utah Code Ann. § 20A-9-409
    Vermont[68]Primaries required for all statewide officesVt. Stat. Ann. tit. 17, § 2351
    Virginia[69]Alternative means of nomination allowed for any statewide office. According to state law, party authorities "have the right to determine the method by which a party nomination ... shall be made." However, effective January 2024, the law also states that a method of nomination "shall not be selected if such method will have the practical effect of excluding participation in the nominating process by qualified voters who are otherwise eligible to participate" but cannot attend meetings due to being active duty military, temporarily living outside of the U.S., being a student, having a disability, or experiencing a contagious disease.[69] According to Virginia Mercury's Markus Schmidt, "The law effectively forces parties to nominate candidates through state-run primary elections rather than their own party-run contests." The 2024 provision does not apply to special elections[70]Va. Code § 24.2-509
    Washington[71]Primaries required for all statewide officesWash. Rev. Code §29A.52.112
    West Virginia[72]Primaries required for all statewide officesW. Va. Code § 3-5-4
    Wisconsin[73]Primaries required for all statewide officesWis. Stat. § 8.16
    Wyoming[74]Primaries required for all statewide officesWyo. Stat. § 22-5-202

    Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia

    • Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
      Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
      Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.

      Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
      Search bills
    • Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
      Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
      Ballotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.

      These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
      Read the latest report
    • Subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin

      Subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin
      The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.

      The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
      Subscribe


    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ The term "major political parties" typically refers to the Democratic and Republican parties. Unless otherwise specified, this term as used in this article refers to those parties.
    2. ↑ In many states, minor political parties are subject to fewer requirements and are allowed to nominate their candidates via party meeting.
    3. ↑ This article does not address nominations due to withdrawal, disqualification, or death occurring before a general election.
    4. ↑ In some states, lieutenant governors are chosen by the gubernatorial nominee and are therefore not nominated by a party.
    5. ↑ According to Virginia law, party authorities "have the right to determine the method by which a party nomination ... shall be made." However, effective January 2024, the law also stated that a method of nomination "shall not be selected if such method will have the practical effect of excluding participation in the nominating process by qualified voters who are otherwise eligible to participate" but cannot attend meetings due to being active duty military, temporarily living outside of the U.S., being a student, having a disability, or experiencing a contagious disease. According to Virginia Mercury's Markus Schmidt, "The law effectively forces parties to nominate candidates through state-run primary elections rather than their own party-run contests."
    6. ↑ Code of Alabama, "Section 17-13-42," accessed February 19, 2026
    7. ↑ Alaska Statutes, "Section 15.25.010," accessed February 19, 2026
    8. ↑ Arizona Revised Statutes, "Section 16-301," accessed February 19, 2026
    9. ↑ Arizona Revised Statutes, "Section 16-302," accessed February 19, 2026
    10. ↑ Arkansas Code Annotated, "Section 7-7-102," accessed February 19, 2026
    11. ↑ California Constitution, "Article II, Section 5," accessed February 19, 2026
    12. ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "Section 1-4-101," accessed February 19, 2026
    13. ↑ Connecticut General Statutes, "Section 9-382," accessed February 19, 2026
    14. ↑ Connecticut General Statutes, "Section 9-400," accessed February 19, 2026
    15. ↑ Connecticut General Statutes, "Section 9-415," accessed February 19, 2026
    16. ↑ According to Connecticut General Statutes Section 9-382, a candidate can become the party-endorsed candidate and qualify for the primary by receiving an endorsement at a party's convention. If this endorsement is not earned, according to Section 9-400, the candidate can still qualify for the primary either by having received at least 15% of convention delegate votes during any roll-call vote taken on the proposed endorsement of the candidate or by obtaining the signatures of at least 2% of enrolled party members in the state. Section 9-415 states that primaries are to be held if a candidate other than the party-endorsed candidate qualifies.
    17. ↑ Delaware Code, "Section 3101A," accessed February 19, 2026
    18. ↑ 2024 Florida Statutes, "Section 100.061," accessed February 19, 2026
    19. ↑ Official Code of Georgia Annotated, "Section 21-2-130," accessed February 19, 2026
    20. ↑ Hawaii Revised Statutes, "Section 12-1," accessed February 19, 2026
    21. ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Section 34-703," accessed February 19, 2026
    22. ↑ Illinois Compiled Statutes, "Chapter 10, Section 7-1," accessed February 19, 2026
    23. ↑ Indiana Code, "Section 3-8-4-2," accessed February 19, 2026
    24. ↑ 2024 Indiana Code, "Section 3-10-1-2," accessed February 19, 2026
    25. ↑ Indiana Code, "Section 3-10-1-4," accessed February 19, 2025
    26. ↑ Iowa Code, "Section 43.3," accessed February 19, 2025
    27. ↑ According to Sections 43.65 and 43.78 of Iowa Code, if more than two candidates run in the primary and no candidate receives over 35% of the vote, the nominee must be chosen by convention or committee.
    28. ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "Section 25-202," accessed February 19, 2026
    29. ↑ Kentucky Statutes, '"Section 118.105," accessed February 19, 2026
    30. ↑ Louisiana Revised Statutes, "Section 18:401," accessed February 19, 2026
    31. ↑ Louisiana uses a majority-vote system for some offices. In those races, candidates, regardless of partisan affiliation, appear on the same primary ballot. If a candidate wins a simple majority, she or he wins the election outright. If no candidate meets that threshold, the top two finishers, regardless of partisan affiliation, advance to a second election.
    32. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes," Section 21A-331," accessed February 19, 2026
    33. ↑ Maryland Election Law Code Annotated, "Section 8-202," accessed February 19, 2026
    34. ↑ Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 53, Section 2," accessed February 19, 2026
    35. ↑ Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 53, Section 88," accessed February 19, 2026
    36. ↑ Michigan Compiled Laws, "Section 282," accessed February 19, 2026
    37. ↑ Michigan Compiled Laws, "Section 168.282a," accessed February 19, 2026
    38. ↑ Michigan Compiled Laws, "Section 168.392," accessed February 19, 2026
    39. ↑ Michigan Compiled Laws, "Section 168.72," accessed February 19, 2026
    40. ↑ Michigan Compiled Laws, "Section 168.534," accessed February 19, 2026
    41. ↑ 2024 Minnesota Statutes, "Section 204D.03," accessed February 19, 2026
    42. ↑ Mississippi Code, "Section 23-15-291," accessed February 19, 2026
    43. ↑ Missouri Revisor of Statutes, "Section 115.339," accessed February 19, 2026
    44. ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Section 13-10-601," accessed February 19, 2026
    45. ↑ Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Section 32-401," accessed February 19, 2026
    46. ↑ Nebraska has a nonpartisan state legislature. All candidates appear on one primary ballot, and the top two finishers advance to the general election.
    47. ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Section 293-175," accessed February 19, 2026
    48. ↑ New Hampshire Revised Statutes, "Section 655:14-a," accessed February 19, 2026
    49. ↑ New Jersey Revised Statutes, "Section 19:13-1," accessed February 19, 2026
    50. ↑ 2024 New Mexico Statutes, "Section 1-8-1," accessed February 19, 2026
    51. ↑ Consolidated Laws of New York, "Section 6-110," accessed February 19, 2026
    52. ↑ North Carolina General Statutes, "Section 163-1," accessed February 19, 2026
    53. ↑ North Dakota Century Code, "Section 16.1-11-01," accessed February 19, 2026
    54. ↑ Ohio Revised Code, "Section 3513.01,"accessed February 19, 2026
    55. ↑ 2024 Oklahoma Statutes, "Section 26-1-102," accessed February 19, 2026
    56. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Section 248.007", accessed February 19, 2026
    57. ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "Article IX, Section 902," accessed February 19, 2026
    58. ↑ General Laws of Rhode Island, "Section 17-15-7," accessed February 19, 2026
    59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 South Carolina Code of Laws, "Section 7-11-30," accessed February 19, 2026
    60. ↑ South Dakota Codified Laws, "Section 12-5-21," accessed February 19, 2026
    61. ↑ Tennessee Code, "Section 2-13-202," accessed February 19, 2026
    62. ↑ Texas Statutes, "Section 172.001," accessed February 19, 2026
    63. ↑ Utah Code, "20A-9-403," accessed February 19, 2026
    64. ↑ Utah Code, "20A-9-407," accessed March 21, 2025
    65. ↑ Utah Code, "20A-9-408," accessed February 19, 2026
    66. ↑ Utah Code, "20A-9-409," accessed February 19, 2026
    67. ↑ According to Section 20A-9-409 of Utah Code, candidates can qualify for the primary either by gathering sufficient signatures or by earning a nomination at a party convention. A primary is only required if multiple candidates qualify via petition and no candidates qualify via convention, or if one or more candidates qualify via convention and one or more candidates qualify via petition.
    68. ↑ Vermont Statutes Annotated, "Section 17-2351," accessed February 19, 2026
    69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 Code of Virginia, "Section 24.2-509," accessed February 19, 2026
    70. ↑ Virginia Mercury, "Republicans fight to restore party-run primaries, challenge new state law," accessed March 6, 2025
    71. ↑ Revised Code of Washington, "Section 29A.52.112," accessed February 19, 2026
    72. ↑ West Virginia Code, "Section 3-5-4," accessed February 19, 2026
    73. ↑ Wisconsin Statutes, "Section 8.16," accessed February 19, 2026
    74. ↑ 2024 Wyoming Election Code, "Section 22-5-202," accessed February 19, 2026

    ‎

    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Non-primary_nominations_for_major_party_candidates&oldid=11063457"