With the coronavirus pandemic threatening to derail the US presidential elections, authorities have been working overtime to find ways to keep it on track. The elections are scheduled for November 3, and a debate on mail-in voting has split the country. With most states in the United States under lockdown, a proposal to conduct the voting virtually was floated by legislators and experts. 

The US elections are contested between two parties – the Republicans and the Democrats. Candidates from both the parties who put up their name have to participate in a series of polls in all 50 states and Washington DC. The candidate who wins the most number of delegates in these primaries are nominated as their party’s presidential nominee. 

Here’s your quick guide to the primaries:

Why are the primaries held 

The primaries are a series of polls conducted to help the parties finalise their presidential nominee. Each candidate is expected to amass a majority of delegates who will in turn nominate them.

Who conducts the primaries

These contests are conducted by the state governments and not the parties themselves. Therefore, each primary can have a different set of rules. While some states conduct closed primaries, where only those who are registered with that party are eligible to vote, in some states unaffiliated voters can take part too. Some states even conduct a more rigorous contest called the caucus.

Difference between primary and caucus

Most states conduct primary elections, where the electorate votes by going to a booth or sending their vote through mail. A handful of states follow a more elaborate procedure involving hours-long meetings and several rounds of polling until a clear winner emerges. This process is called a Caucus. In a caucus, a voter is allowed to switch sides and balloting is held until one of the candidates doesn’t get a clear majority. 

Which Democrats are in the primaries?

The Democratic primaries began with a nearly 10 candidates, all of whom had been campaigning hard for the last one year. The list had names ranging from former vice-president Joe Biden to billionaire Michael Bloomberg. As the primaries went on, candidates kept withdrawing their candidates, leaving only Biden and socialist democratic Bernie Sanders in the fray. 

Who is in fray in the Republican primaries?

The Republicans will also have primaries, but no prominent party member has announced their name yet. In that scenario, US President Donald Trump is expected to sail through the primaries and face either Biden or Sanders.