US states voting on Super Tuesday and what it means
Super Tuesday is a key date in the race for the White House.
On 5 March, voters in 15 states and one US territory chose their candidates.
A sixteenth state will also give us the Democratic results.
The results will likely highlight the strengths and weaknesses of Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Whilst neither has yet secured the nomination, it looks likely the 2024 election will be a rematch of the 2020 election.
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What is Super Tuesday?
It’s when most states vote in the presidential primary calendar.
Nominating contests will be held in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and the US territory of American Samoa.
The Republican contest will be in all of these 15 states, while the Democrats will vote in the same states except Alaska. They will hold caucuses, too, in American Samoa.
We’ll also get the results of the Democratic contest in Iowa, which has been ongoing by post for several weeks.
Source: BBC News
What are they looking for?
GOP front-runner and former US President Donald Trump will be hoping that he can knock his last remaining rival, Nikki Haley, out of the race.
Haley has no clear path to victory and it’s not clear why she hasn’t dropped out of the race. However, Super Tuesday is her last chance to impede Trump’s momentum – or expose his weaknesses – heading into the general election.
Whilst Trump is the overwhelming favourite for the Republican nomination, he has struggled to win over certain groups – including college-educated suburbanites – which could impede his chances for re-election.
Joe Biden has all but certain sealed the nomination of the Democrats. He suffered a setback in Michigan after 13% of voters declared themselves “uncommitted” – a protest vote over America’s role in arming Israel.
The president will be looking to see if other protest votes catch on this Super Tuesday, with concerns that California, Colorado, North Carolina, Minnesota and Vermont could follow Michigan’s lead.
Super Tuesday could reveal the levels of enthusiasm amongst key groups such as young voters and whether it could harm his chance for re-election.