Presidential Conventions

A United States presidential nominating convention is a political convention held every four years in the United States by most of the political parties who will be fielding nominees in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The formal purpose of such a convention is to select the party's nominee for President, as well as to adopt a statement of party principles and goals known as the platform and adopt the rules for the party's activities, including the presidential nominating process for the next election cycle. Due to changes in election laws and the manner in which political campaigns are run, conventions since the later half of the 20th century have virtually abdicated their original roles, and are today mostly ceremonial affairs.
Generally, usage of “presidential nominating convention” refer to the two major parties’ quadrennial events: the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention.

Sites of the 2012 party convention 

- June 20–22, 2011: Prohibition Party National Convention in Cullman, Alabama Jack Fellure won the nomination.
- October 14–16, 2011: 2011 Socialist Party USA National Convention to be held in Los Angeles, California
- April 18–21, 2012: 2012 Constitution Party National Convention to be held in Nashville, Tennessee
- May 4–6, 2012: 2012 Libertarian National Convention to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada
- June 2012: Americans Elect National Convention held over the internet
- August 27–30, 2012: 2012 Republican National Convention to be held in Tampa, Florida
- September 3–6, 2012: 2012 Democratic National Convention to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina