This is a timeline of major events leading up to, during, and after the 2024 United States presidential election, which was the first presidential election to be run with population data from the 2020 census. In addition to the dates mandated by the relevant federal laws such as those in the U.S. Constitution and the Electoral Count Act, several milestones have consistently been observed since the adoption of the conclusions of the 1971 McGovern–Fraser Commission.
2020 November 7: Joe Biden is declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election by a consensus of major news outlets projecting the results, defeating incumbent President Donald Trump. December 18: The U.S. Supreme Court delivers its per curiam decision in Trump v. New York regarding the 2020 United States census, effectively allowing Trump's July 2020 presidential memorandum to stand, which ordered the Department of Commerce exclude the estimated counts of illegal immigrants. The per curiam decision vacated the U.S. District Court's previous ruling on the basis that the case was premature due to lack of standing and ripeness. Justice Stephen Breyer files a dissent, which was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, arguing that the Court should have considered the case. December 31: The U.S. Census Bureau misses the deadline to deliver the 2020 census results and the new apportionment counts to outgoing President Donald Trump.
2021 January 6: United States Capitol attack: Trump supporters attack and storm the Capitol building in an attempt to stop the counting of the electoral votes. January 13: President Trump is impeached for a second time in relation to the events that took place the week prior. January 20: Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, along with Kamala Harris as the 49th vice president. February 13: Trump is acquitted by the Senate, maintaining his eligibility for a non-consecutive re-election bid. April 26: The apportionment figures of the 2020 census are released, determining the distribution of electoral votes for the 2024 and 2028 elections. June 26: Trump begins a series of campaign-style rallies. November 20: President Biden and some of his aides inform some allies that he plans to run again in 2024.
2022 January 19: President Biden commits to keeping Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate in 2024. February 27: Former President Donald Trump wins the 2022 CPAC straw poll by over 30 points. March 8: Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton declares she will not run again in 2024. March 10: Corey Stapleton, former secretary of state of Montana, announces he has formed a formal exploratory committee for a possible run for president. March 16: Donald Trump announces that if he runs for re-election, his former Vice President Mike Pence will not be his running mate. April 9: U.S. intelligence officials suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin may launch another campaign to interfere in the presidential election, similar to in 2016 and 2020. April 14: The RNC votes unanimously to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. April 15: RNC endorses prioritizing Iowa and New Hampshire's "first-in-the-nation" status. June 24: In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Supreme Court of the United States declares that the Constitution does not confer the right to an abortion. The decision is met with controversy as abortion becomes a hot button issue across the country. July 6: Russian propagandist Olga Skabeyeva suggested that Russia could work to reinstate Trump as president in 2024. July 14: In an interview with Olivia Nuzzi of Intelligencer, Trump states that he had already decided to run again, and is weighing whether to declare "before or after" the midterms. July 29: US Representative Dean Phillips becomes the first incumbent elected official from the Democratic Party in Congress to say Biden shouldn't run for president in 2024. August 5: The RNC names Milwaukee as the site for the 2024 Republican National Convention. August 8: The FBI executes a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago relating to a criminal investigation into former President Trump. August 19: Philosopher and perennial candidate Jerome Segal announces his presidential campaign, becoming the first confirmed candidate for the 2024 Democratic primaries. November 8: Midterm elections: The Democratic Party retains control of the U.S. Senate, flipping one seat in Pennsylvania, while the Republican Party gains control of the U.S. House of Representatives with a net gain of nine seats, restoring the majority they had lost in the 2018 elections. November 11: Former Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton declares his intent to run for president in 2024 as a Republican, becoming the first confirmed candidate for the 2024 Republican primaries. November 15: Former president Donald Trump announces his candidacy at a rally in front of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. November 18: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland opens an investigation into former President Trump's role in the U.S. Capitol attack and his handling of government documents, headed by special counsel Jack Smith. November 18–22: The Republican Jewish Coalition conference, which is considered the first major "cattle call" event of the cycle, takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. November 20: Former South Carolina Governor and ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced she's considering running for president. Rapper and 2020 candidate Kanye West informally confirms his 2024 campaign when answering paparazzi questions. November 22: Kanye West meets with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, along with Nick Fuentes, in which West allegedly offered Trump to be his running mate. December 1–3: The DNC's rules and bylaws committee meets to finalize the primary schedule for the upcoming cycle. December 15: Based on Trump's involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack, Congressman David Cicilline introduces a bill that would prevent Trump from running for public office again under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which disqualifies presidential candidates who have engaged in insurrection against the United States. December 29: President Biden signs the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, adding to and revising the procedures carried out for the counting of electoral votes and the presidential transition process.
2023 January 2023 January 6: John Anthony Castro, a minor presidential candidate, files a federal lawsuit against Donald Trump claiming the ineligibility of his candidacy. January 26: The Michigan Legislature passes a bill that moves the state's presidential primary date to February, which violates Republican Party rules and may disqualify its delegates.
February 2023 February 4: The Democratic National Committee approves a new primary calendar, moving South Carolina to February 3, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on February 6, Georgia on February 13, and Michigan on February 27. Iowa, which traditionally goes first, would then be held later in the primary season. The DNC gives Georgia and New Hampshire an extended deadline of June to modify their state laws so they can comply with the new dates (New Hampshire state law mandates them to hold the first primary in the country, while Georgia state law requires them to hold both the Democratic and Republican primaries on the same day), but this remains unlikely to happen since both states have Republican-controlled state legislatures. February 14: Former UN ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announces her bid for the Republican presidential nomination. February 21: Author and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.
March 2023 March 1–4: The 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference is held in National Harbor, Maryland, with candidates Trump, Haley, and Ramaswamy all featured as speakers. March 2: Businessman Perry Johnson announces his campaign outside of CPAC after spending his own money on Super Bowl commercials promoting his candidacy the month prior. March 3: The DNC declares their full support for President Biden's re-election, stating they do not plan to host any official debates. March 4: Author Marianne Williamson announces her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination as the first major primary challenger to incumbent President Biden. Trump wins the 2023 CPAC straw poll, leading prospective candidate Ron DeSantis by 42 points. March 5: Former governor of Maryland Larry Hogan declares he will not run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. March 6: According to sources close to Donald Trump, Axios reports a shortlist of potential contenders for his running mate, including former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, former news anchor Kari Lake, South Dakota governor Kristi Noem, and Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. March 16: 2016 independent presidential candidate Joe Exotic announced he is running for president from federal prison. March 18: The Palmetto Family Council's Vision '24 Forum is held in Charleston, South Carolina, with Haley and potential candidate Tim Scott in attendance. March 30: Former President Donald Trump is indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his hush money scandal with Stormy Daniels.
April 2023 April 2: Former governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson informally announced his candidacy during an exclusive interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl. No Labels, a centrist political organization advocating for bipartisanship, began exploring options to support a unity ticket in the presidential election. April 4: Former President Donald Trump turns himself in and pleads not guilty to all 34 felony charges in New York. April 5: Activist Chase Oliver, former chair of the Atlanta Libertarian Party, announces his campaign for the Libertarian presidential primaries. April 6: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. files to challenge Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary. The Idaho Legislature passes House Bill 138, moving the state's presidential primary date to May while also eliminating the original primary date in March. April 11: The Democratic Party announces that its convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois. April 12: U.S. senator of South Carolina, Tim Scott, announces the formation of an exploratory committee to possibly run for president. April 14: Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declines to run for the Republican presidential nomination. The Daily Beast reports that Kanye West's campaign has been stagnant for months following infighting between staffers and West's general disinterest. April 14–15: The National Rifle Association of America holds its 2023 Annual Meeting and Exhibit in Indianapolis, with a number of presidential hopefuls in attendance. April 19: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer and son of Robert F. Kennedy, formally announces his presidential campaign in a launch event in Boston. April 20: Larry Elder, radio host, attorney, and candidate in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, formally announces his presidential campaign during an interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight. April 23: The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition annual spring kick-off is held in Clive, Iowa, and is attended by numerous current and prospective Republican presidential candidates. April 25: Incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden announces his bid for re-election in 2024. Trump raises uncertainty about his participation in primary debates on Truth Social, saying he did not want to subject himself to "being libeled and abused." April 26: Asa Hutchinson formally announces his candidacy during a campaign rally in Bentonville, Arkansas.
May 2023 May 3: Forbes reports that the Ramaswamy campaign paid an editor to alter his Wikipedia page, removing his connections to George Soros.