Washington: The United States is set to witness 'Super Tuesday' on March 5 - a crucial day ahead of the American presidential elections as millions of people will vote for primaries in 15 states to decide the presidential candidate for the upcoming race. US President Joe Biden is the unrivalled candidate in the Democratic camp, while ex-President Donald Trump is the leading Indian-origin leader in the Republican nomination race.
The Super Tuesday is a big deal for the upcoming election - it is considered a make-or-break moment for a candidate as the presidential race narrows. This is the last chance for Haley to defeat Trump for a Republican nomination, after she won the primary in the District of Columbia - her sole victory so far. However, it has been the sole victory for Haley as she has struggled to garner votes elsewhere, including her home state of South Carolina.
On the other hand, Trump won the North Dakota Republican presidential caucuses on Monday, getting 29 delegates and adding to his string of victories heading into Super Tuesday. Now, 16 states will go for contests that will amount to the biggest delegate haul in the run-up to the presidential elections. With Biden and Trump leading their races, it is widely expected that this year's contest would be a 2020 rematch.
What is Super Tuesday and how it works?
Super Tuesday takes place on March 5 and is the day in the US presidential primary cycle when the most states vote. It is traditionally the biggest day nationwide for primary elections and caucuses before the actual election day in November - as one or two states generally hold primaries or caucuses on the same day before this date.
On this Tuesday, voters in 16 different states and one territory will be choosing who they want to run for president. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia are holding primaries, while Alaska and Utah are holding caucuses.
About a third of Democratic delegates will also be decided on March 5, with nominating contests held in 14 of those 15 states, plus American Samoa. In Alaska, Democrats vote on April 6. Once these votes are tallied, delegates will be awarded. Delegates are people chosen to represent their community at their political party’s presidential nominating convention, as in they choose who will represent their community.
March 5 is also the final day for Democrats in Iowa to mail in their ballots in that state's caucuses and the results will be announced. The Iowa Democratic caucuses took place in January in violation of the Democratic National Committee's rules, but the results will be declared by Tuesday, according to CBS News.
To sum up:
- Voters in 16 states and one territory will decide on Tuesday who they want to run for president.
- More than one-third of the total delegates available in both the Republican and Democratic primaries will be awarded.
- Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the frontrunners for the Democratic and Republican parties.
Where do Republicans and Democrats stand?
In the Republican contest, 865 of 2,429 delegates will be up for grabs, including from the two most populous states, California and Texas. At least 1,215 delegates are needed to win the nomination at the Republican National Convention in July. Trump's campaign is confident that he will win over 770 delegates on Super Tuesday and will surpass the number needed to secure the presidential nomination.
Haley has 43 delegates, barely managing to interrupt Trump's winning run in the DC primary. However, opinion polls show Trump to be an overwhelming favorite in California and Texas, as well as in states such as Alabama, Maine and Minnesota. Trump has repeatedly urged Haley to drop out to set up a rematch of the 2020 election against Biden that polls show many Americans don't want.
Meanwhile, Democratic primaries will allocate a total of 1,420 delegates, and 1,968 delegates are needed to win the Democratic nomination. Biden has a total of 206 delegates, far ahead of his rivals Marianne Williamson and Dean Philips and is all but sure of securing the presidential nomination.
After the Super Tuesday, the campaigning will continue as usual, with the remaining states continuing to hold primaries over the next several months. The final primaries of the campaign will be held on June 4, when Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota all hold Republican and Democratic primaries, and Washington DC holds a Democratic primary.
Why is it called Super Tuesday?
According to the National Constitution Centre, the term 'Super Tuesday' was used in the 1970s to refer to the last big collection of primaries and not the first. Its modern usage was cemented in the 1980s, as states moved their primaries earlier on the calendar to try to increase their influence, reported the New York Times.
Democrats in southern states attempted to have a greater say to push toward a conservative nominee after candidate Walter Mondale lost badly in 1984. They believed that if their states held their nominating contests on the same day, relatively early in the cycle, they could boost the chances that someone from the region would get the nomination.
What would be the results?
This year there’s not much of a chance for a surprise. Biden is the incumbent and the only major candidate for Democrats. He faces only token opposition. On the Republican side, Donald Trump has won nearly every primary so far and is expected to win big on Tuesday as well, as there are not enough independent voters for Haley.
However, there is always a possibility of an upset. In 2020, Biden was basically counted out of the race after dismal showings in early primaries. Then he won the South Carolina primary. A few days later, he mounted a swift and stunning comeback on Super Tuesday that really gave everyone a jolt. He ran the board, winning 10 of the 14 states. Other candidates dropped out of the race after his wins.
However, neither Trump nor Biden will be able to claim the “presumptive nominee” title yet. The earliest that could happen is March 12 for Trump and March 19 for Biden. There are other candidates in the fray, like Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, a former baseball star.
Meanwhile, in a major win for Trump, the Supreme Court on Monday restored him to 2024 presidential primary ballots, and rejected state attempts to hold the former US president accountable for the Capital riot on January 6, 2021. The outcome ends efforts in Colorado, Illinois, Maine and elsewhere to kick Trump, the front-runner for his party's nomination, off the ballot because of his attempts to undo his loss in the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden.
(with inputs from agencies)
