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Elections 101: Path to the Presidency
Introduction
The road to the White House, as the Beatles might have said, is long and winding -- and the 2008 contest is no exception. Campaigning started earlier than ever, with candidates running at a breakneck pace a year before any votes were cast. The road includes major stops in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, a semi-national primary on February 5, national party conventions in Denver, Colorado, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, a national Election Day in November and a meeting of the Electoral College in December -- with dozens of filing deadlines and thousands of fundraisers, chicken dinners and campaign stops along the way. And it all leads to Inauguration Day in January 2009, when the new president and vice president take office on the steps of the Capitol in Washington.
More Information
Delegates explained
Understand how the nominees are chosen and what role you play in the process
What is a caucus?
CNN explains the complex, confusing caucusing process
 
Meet the candidates
See who's running and who's winning, who's still in and who's out
 
Jargonbuster
CNN.com defines all those terms you've been hearing on the campaign trail but were afraid to ask about
The Money
Follow the money
See how much candidates have raised and spent, as well as how much cash they have on hand
The Money | Map
The Issues
Abortion  •  Economic Stimulus
Energy •  Housing  •  Iran  •  Iraq
Same-sex marriage  •  Taxes

From the Blogs: Controversy, commentary, and debate

Calling All First-Time Voters
Are you a first-time voter? What has inspired you to get to the polls? Is it a candidate? Is it an issue? Tell us your story and share your thoughts via e-mail or turn on a Web cam and send us a video.
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