The purpose of this guide is to describe primary election changes, clarify some of the questions people ask about primaries, and help readers understand the primaries' role in choosing the president in 1976. Primaries in 1976 differ in three important respects; the number of states that hold primaries has increased substantially, the rules used to select delegates have been modified for the Democratic primaries, and the way candidates in both parties finance their primary campaigns has changed significantly. The booklet begins with an examination of the origins and purposes of presidential primaries. Section headings are the following: What Are Presidential Primaries?; The Growing Number of Primaries; Types of Presidential Primaries; How Are Primary Campaigns Financed?; How Candidates Enter Primaries; Why Candidates from the "Out" Party Decide to Enter or Avoid Primaries; Which Primaries to Enter?; Primaries in the President's Party; Summary: What Do Primaries Do; and Understanding the Primaries in 1976. (Author/ND)