When is the US election? What comes next after Donald Trump’s South Carolina primary win

A look at some of the key dates as election campaigns start to ramp up
A look at some of the key dates as election campaigns start to ramp up
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The 2024 presidential campaign is up and running with the drama of the party primaries.

Donald Trump has the momentum for the Republican party, after thumping rival Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina.

It follows a landslide for the former president in Iowa on January 15 and comfortable wins in New Hampshire and Nevada.

Nikki Haley, the only remaining challenger to Mr Trump for the Republican nomination, is facing questions over the viability of her campaign after the humiliating loss in South Carolina, though she vowed to fight on.

On the other side of the ring, Joe Biden won the first Democrat primary of the year in New Hampshire, seeing off the challenge of Dean Phillips, alongside securing victory in the primaries in South Carolina and Nevada.

Nationally, polls are predicting a close rematch between Mr Trump and Mr Biden, in a presidential race that would stand to be one of the most historically significant the country has seen.

But, the 2024 timetable is also complicated by the blizzard of litigation faced by Mr Trump, who will have to juggle campaigning with a series of court appearances.

Here The Telegraph gives you a comprehensive overview of all the key dates coming up.

March 5 — ‘Super Tuesday’

The date when 15 states hold primaries and caucuses including Texas and California. It could be a decisive point in the Republican primary race.

March 12

Michigan among another seven states hold primaries and caucuses.

March 19

Primaries in four more states including Florida and Illinois.

March 25

Start of Stormy Daniels’ “hush money” case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Donald Trump during the Official Pro-Am Tournament in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 10
Donald Trump during the Official Pro-Am Tournament in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 10 - TIMOTHY A. CLARY

April

Primaries in Wisconsin, Delaware, Maryland Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

May

Primaries in Indiana, Nebraska, West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon.

May 14

A pretrial hearing in the classified documents case, in which Mr Trump is accused by special prosecutor Jack Smith of illegally hoarding papers at Mar-a-Lago and obstructing the government’s attempts to retrieve them.

May 20

The classified documents case begins.

June

Primaries in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington DC.

July 15-18

The Republican National Convention takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Republican presidential candidate will officially be announced.

August 19-22

The Democratic National Convention takes place in Chicago.

November 5

Election day.

December 10

The Safe Harbour Deadline – when states have to settle any disputes over who is sent to the Electoral College, the body that formally casts the votes to decide the outcome of the election.

Dec 16

Electors meet in their state capitals to formally cast their votes for the Electoral College.

Rioters storming the captiol on Jan 6 2020
Rioters storming the captiol on Jan 6 2020 - Jose Luis Magana

2025

January 6

The formal counting of votes in the Electoral College takes place at a joint session of Congress.

Following the 2020 census, Texas gained two electoral votes while Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon each gained one.

California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia each lost one.

It will be the first formal counting of the votes on Jan 6 since the 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Jan 20 — Inauguration Day

The president-elect will be sworn into office.

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