Confused about Michigan Primary and Convention? You are not alone.

The political spotlight will be on Michigan on Tuesday, when voters there cast primaries, and again four days later when Republicans hold an additional election.

The party adopted a new and somewhat confusing hybrid nominating system this year, which will culminate in a statewide nominating convention on March 2.

Or two.

A mutiny in the Republican Party has spawned rival factions, each vowing to hold its own convention even though the national party only recognizes one.

Here’s what you need to know:

When are the Michigan primaries and convention, and how do I vote?

Michigan will hold its primaries on February 27, voting for Republicans and Democrats. In addition, the state’s Republican Party will host a nominating convention on March 2.

Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time (most of the state is in the Eastern time zone). In-person voting began on February 17. Voters can find their polling stations hereand they can register to vote by visiting their city or town clerk until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

All voters can participate in the primaries, regardless of whether they are Democrats, Republicans or independents. But voters cannot choose candidates from more than one party on the same ballot, known as crossover voting.

At the Republican nominating convention, only delegates, a group of elected party loyalists, can participate in the caucus-like event.

Who will be on the ballot Tuesday?

There are seven Republicans on the ballot, headlined by former President Donald J. Trump, the Republican Party’s frontrunner, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. Most of the others have lost weight.

President Biden and his nominal challenger, Rep. Dean Phillips, will appear on the Democratic primary ballot along with Marianne Williamson, who has withdrawn.

Both parties also have the option to vote for ‘non-committed’. Here’s how to do that look up sample ballots.

Why is Michigan holding a split process, with a primary and a convention?

Democrats, who control the state government, passed a law last year moved up Michigan’s primary datewhich used to be the second Tuesday in March.

Republicans fought the change because it violates their national party’s rules that usually prohibit states from holding nominating contests before March 1. To prevent the national party from gaining delegates, Republicans in the state have adopted the hybrid nominating system.

How will delegates be rewarded this year?

The process is fairly simple for Democrats, who will use a proportional system based on primary results for most delegates. Michigan will send 140 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The formula for Republicans is more complex: starting with the primaries, only 16 of the 55 delegates will be rewarded, also proportionately. But most of the delegates (39) will be decided during the convention.

When can we expect results?

Polls show that Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden have big leads in the state, which could speed things up after the polls close on Tuesday.

“If either presidential primary is a blowout, we won’t need many votes to declare the winners,” Stephen Ohlemacher, elections editor for The Associated Press, said in an email.

And while Mr. Trump’s strong position also applies to the convention, there is greater uncertainty about the timing of the results because of how new the process is. There’s also the drama with rival Republican factions possibly hosting dueling conventions.

What is the time and location of the conference?

Both March 2 celebrations begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

Pete Hoekstra, who the RNC considers the rightful chairman of the state party, chose the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids as his convention location.

Across the state, Kristina Karamo, the Trump-style election denier who has refused to give up power after a vote to impeach her earlier this year, continues her rally at Huntington Place in Detroit.

What will the conference look like? Why is the process so confusing this year?

Party loyalists from across Michigan will meet by congressional district and break into 13 separate groups to vote for the president. They were chosen for the role by their provincial parties.

Republicans will award three delegates to each congressional district. A candidate who receives the majority of votes wins all three, otherwise it is two for a majority and one for second place.

The group will also “certify” the results of Tuesday’s primaries and award the remaining 16 delegates accordingly.

All this is set against the backdrop of the party feud in the state.

The process could effectively play out on a split screen during the dueling party meetings, creating competing delegates who could both end up at the national convention this summer. The RNC would then decide which party to recognize, and Mr. Hoekstra’s recognition as leader of the state party indicates that his list would be considered the official list.

Wait, who is Kristina Karamo? And Piet Hoekstra?

Ms. Karamo rose to prominence for spreading conspiracy theories about voter fraud after the 2020 election. In 2022, she lost her bid for Michigan secretary of state, an office that oversees elections. Last year, in February, she emerged victorious in the marathon vote for the chairmanship of the state party.

But Ms. Karamo quickly lost the support of many Republicans, who said the party was shrouded in secrecy and struggling with money under her leadership. They voted to remove her on Jan. 6 and elected Mr. Hoekstra as her replacement two weeks later, actions that Ms. Karamo has argued were illegal.

Mr Hoekstra, a former Member of Parliament, was Mr Trump’s ambassador in the Netherlands. He stepped forward in January to seek the job as party boss and was endorsed by Trump later that month.

The RNC recognized him as chairman on February 14, three days before he attended a rally for Trump in Waterford Township, Michigan.