Super Tuesday is a significant moment in the US presidential election campaign. Both Republicans and Democrats celebrate primary elections in more than a dozen states, where it is decided which candidates will run to the presidential elections of each party in November.
What is Super Tuesday?
Super Tuesday refers to day in which the largest number of states in the country participate in the primary election cycle. Super Tuesday takes place normally the first Tuesday in March of an election year and you vote for the candidate of a party, who will then run for president. The rules for the primaries, including who can vote, are determined by each state and party.
This 2024, Super Tuesday took place on March 5. that day 15 of 50 states and two US territories (American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands) were called to the polls.
Each election period changes the number of states that participate. However, it is usually put at stake a third of all delegates who will go to the Republican or Democratic conventions to elect the presidential candidate of each party.
What are caucuses?
The caucuslike the primaries, are a way for a political party to choose its candidates for elections. Unlike primaries, caucuses are a system of private local meetings that take place at a certain time and can last several hours.
These offer participants the opportunity to publicly debate the candidates. Caucuses used to be the most common way to elect candidates but are now only used in some states. These party meetings take place at the county or electoral district level, and generally occur as follows:
- In the “caucuses”, participants are divided into groups, according to the candidate they support.
- The undecided form their own group.
- Each group offers speeches to support their candidate and try to get others to join the group.
In the end, the number of voters in each group determines how many delegates each candidate won.
Why people vote on Tuesdays in the US
Tuesday is a date established since 1845 to unify elections at the national level. The election of this day arose from the needs of rural society in the 19th century, when voters required time to travel from their homes to the voting centers.
Then, Sunday was ruled out for religious reasons and Wednesday because it was an important market day for farmers and ranchers.. Taking place on Tuesday allowed them to travel on Mondays, after any religious celebration on Sunday, and also gave them enough time to return on Wednesday, when they held markets to sell their products.
Source: Ambito
I am a 24-year-old writer and journalist who has been working in the news industry for the past two years. I write primarily about market news, so if you’re looking for insights into what’s going on in the stock market or economic indicators, you’ve come to the right place. I also dabble in writing articles on lifestyle trends and pop culture news.
