Democrats are expected to vote this week on the sequence of their primary calendar for the 2028 presidential election, with a final decision pending approval by the full Democratic National Committee (DNC). The committee responsible for setting the voting order is scheduled to meet Friday in Washington, according to individuals familiar with the process who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee has been conducting monthly meetings to evaluate the order in which states will hold their primaries and caucuses. Several states, including Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, have presented proposals to secure early spots on the primary calendar.

Although the committee may determine the order as early as this week, the calendar will not be finalized until the full DNC officially endorses it at their August meeting. The DNC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Democrats have significantly revised their approach to setting the primary calendar following problems with the 2020 Iowa caucuses, which resulted in a delayed and unclear outcome of the state’s results. Since then, the party has emphasized including states with more diverse electorates earlier in the process.

In the 2024 cycle, President Joe Biden championed a shift to have South Carolina open the Democratic primaries. Historically, the first Southern contest, South Carolina was positioned before traditional early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, which have predominantly white populations. According to Census data, approximately 25% of South Carolina’s residents are Black and about 9% are Hispanic, factors that contributed to the party’s decision to prioritize a more representative electorate.

The 2028 primary calendar decision is viewed as a continuation of this effort to diversify the early voting states and reflect the party’s broader demographic priorities moving forward.