Super Tuesday is scheduled on Mar. 5, 2024, and is considered to be a highly-contested presidential primary day as it is when the largest number of states will be holding primaries or caucuses.
More than a third of all the available delegates for both Democratic and Republican presidential nominations are at stake. United States President Joe Biden is currently the leading contender for his party's nomination. Additionally, he has no substantial primary challenger.
What Is Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday is considered the biggest primary day in the presidential race as it is where the majority of delegates can be won for candidates looking to become their respective parties' nominees.(not actual photo)
On the other hand, the Republican Party's frontrunner is former United States President Donald Trump, who has a substantial lead against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. In two of the Super Tuesday states, Colorado and Maine, the former president was found to have engaged in insurrection related to the post-2020 election period.
He was then disqualified from the primary ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. However, on Monday, the United States Supreme Court ruled that only Congress, not states, is authorized to enforce Section 3. This means that votes for Trump in those particular states will still count, as per CBS News.
Additionally, the Republican businessman is facing federal indictments in Washington, D.C., and Florida, as well as state charges in New York and Georgia. It remains unclear just how many of the cases against Trump will go to trial before the presidential election later this November.
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There are concerns among Democrats regarding President Bidens' age, his handling of U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas war, and voter apathy. Super Tuesday works by having registered voters in the states that hold presidential nominating contests go to the polls and vote on Mar. 5.
On that day, 15 states will hold GOP contests, 13 of which will hold primaries, namely Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. The remaining two, Alaska and Utah, will be holding caucuses.
How Important is the Primary Day?
For Republicans so far, Trump has won 244 delegates while Haley has only gotten 43 delegates. In order to become the GOP presidential nominee, a candidate must acquire at least 1,215 delegates, according to the Hindustan Times.
On the other hand, for Democrats, Biden has won the support of 206 delegates and would need at least 1,918 delegates in order to become his party's presidential nominee. During Super Tuesday, tens of millions of American voters will be eligible to cast ballots in primaries and caucuses.
The vote among Republicans is expected to be more closely watched than Democrats as Super Tuesday marks Haley's D-day. There will be 874 delegates up for grabs, and Trump's campaign expects the former president to win at least 773 delegates on Mar. 5, 2024. On the other hand, Democrats will be fighting for a total of 1,420 delegates.
In 2020, Biden was counted out of the race after dismal showings in early primaries. He then went on to win the South Carolina primary, and a few days later, he mounted a swift and stunning comeback on Super Tuesday. He won 10 of the 14 states, and other candidates dropped out of the race, said the Associated Press.
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