Washington, DC (CNN) Democratic Party leaders are meeting this week to hear pitches from 16 states and Puerto Rico, which want to hold the first presidential nominating contests in 2024, as the party moves forward with reevaluating its primary schedule. Democratic Party officials earlier this year approved a plan that requires any state that wants to hold a nominating contest before the first Tuesday in March -- including the traditional early four of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina -- to apply for permission. In the coming weeks, the Rules and Bylaws Committee will select up to five states using criteria that prioritize diverse battlegrounds that choose to hold primaries, not caucuses. That decision will then need to be approved by the full Democratic National Committee. Because the party is aiming to have every region of the country represented among the early group of states, and the positions of New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina are generally considered to be secure, it's expected there will be fierce competition among other Midwestern states to be the alternative to Iowa.

Source: CNN June 23, 2022 02:30 UTC