United States Primary Elections: All You Need To Know About Super Tuesday

Super Tuesday is regarded as a significant milestone in the presidential nomination process during the United States elections. It’s a big election day when the early contests are over and voters from multiple states cast ballots in primaries held on the same day.

Super Tuesday – What Is It?

Super Tuesday is a critical day in the US presidential primary election process that falls on the first Tuesday of March, this year on March 5. Super Tuesday is a watershed moment in the race for party nominations because multiple states hold their primary elections or caucuses at the same time. This consolidated voting day allows a wide range of states, many of which represent different regions and demographics, to influence candidate selection.

Importance Of Super Tuesday

Approximately one-third of all delegates to the presidential nominating conventions can be won on Super Tuesday, allowing candidates to secure a significant portion of the total delegates required to win their party’s nomination. These primaries and caucuses will determine approximately 36% of the Republican delegates.

Which States Will Be Voting?

On March 5, 15 Republican and 16 Democratic contests will take place across the country.

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Maine

Massachusetts

Minnesota

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

American Samoa

What We Know So Far

Ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5, 2024, Biden and Trump have emerged as clear winners. Despite consecutive defeats in caucuses and primary elections, Nikki Haley has refused to abandon her presidential campaign. Meanwhile, Biden’s rise to prominence has been largely uncontested.

Donald Trump has the support of 244 Republican delegates, while Nikki Haley has only 43. They need 1215 delegates.

Joe Biden has the support of 206 Democratic delegates and needs the support of 1918 more to secure his candidature.

What Happened In The Last ‘Super Tuesday’?

In 2020, 14 primary elections were held. During the Super Tuesday Republican primaries, incumbent President Donald Trump defeated challenger Bill Weld. He won seven of the 11 contests that day, but he lost the grand prize, Texas.

Key Points Ahead Of 2024 Super Tuesday

Tens of millions of Americans are eligible to vote in primaries and caucuses on Tuesday, with contests taking place from Maine in the northeast to California on the west coast, as well as American Samoa, a remote Pacific territory.

On the Republican side, there are 874 delegates — more than a third of the 2,429 delegates who will officially vote for candidates at the party’s July nominating convention, giving Trump a chance to all but seal his runaway lead, barring a major upset. His campaign predicts that he will win at least 773 delegates on Super Tuesday, surpassing the magic number required to secure the nomination about two weeks later.

Super Tuesday will be the D-day for challenger Nikki Haley, who hopes to derail the former president’s bid to become the party’s flag bearer once more. Former South Carolina governor lost to Trump in every constituency except Washington DC, despite winning 40% of the votes in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor, had never won a contest before her symbolic victory in the Washington, DC primary on Sunday night. However, she received 40% of the vote in New Hampshire and South Carolina, indicating that the party remains divided over Trump. Haley believes she would outperform her rival in a general election matchup against Biden. Analysts believe Haley will decide to stay in the hunt primarily in case Trump is sidelined by legal issues or other circumstances, such as illness.

US President Joe Biden is facing a significant rebellion within his party, with more than half of Democrats hoping to replace him with Michael Obama. Even though he won Michigan, more than 100,000 Democratic primary voters chose “uncommitted” instead of Biden. “Uncommitted” won two Michigan delegates, which are the only ones Biden has lost so far. Democratic primary voters in a state have been protesting the president’s Israel policy, urging him to push harder for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

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