States can choose when their primaries happen by law, and the parties can choose when and where their primaries should happen. Entertaining things happen when they differ. The Democratic party cannot force Iowa and New Hampshire to not have their primary and caucus later in the year, but they can threaten not to count their delegates if they go at the wrong time.
The sobering thing is, this is not nearly the dumbest part of the American electoral system.
The sobering thing is, this is not nearly the dumbest part of the American electoral system.