Super Tuesday Kicks Off: Get Out and Vote

State delegates are currently voting for Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential race today. 

Known as Super Tuesday, 15 states will be participating in nominating a Republican nominee, while 15 states and one territory will be holding contests to nominate the Democratic candidate. 

Primaries for Democrats are being conducted in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine and Massachusetts. Along with Minnesota and North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and the U.S. territory American Samoa are currently part of Super Tuesday. 

Republicans are also holding primaries in the same states with the exception of Utah where a caucus is being held. A caucus is also being held in Alaska.

President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are expected to be the leading nominees, although political analysts believe neither one will be able to secure a nomination by the end of Super Tuesday.  Currently, Biden’s leading the Democratic race with 206 delegates out of a necessary 1,968 delegates to win the nomination. Biden’s nomination is ensured by the fact that he’s running as an incumbent.

Trump is also currently leading the way for the Republican nomination, securing 273 delegates out of a required 1,215 to become the Republican choice. Per the Associated Press, mathematically, the soonest Biden can become the official nominee is March 19, while Trump is expected to be announced as the official Republican nominee by March 12.

Super Tuesday comes a day after a Judge found that Trump can stay on Colorado’s ballot. 

The state, which is currently voting for Super Tuesday, sought to remove him from their ballots under the ruling that he took part in an insurrection by attempting to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election. 

Yesterday, although they didn’t comment on whether he was an insurrectionist, the Supreme Court announced its unanimous decision that no federal candidate can be removed by states under the 14th Amendment.

“For the reasons given, responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States,” the ruling said per NBC. “The judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court therefore cannot stand.”

Other elections for seats in the Senate and House of Representatives are also being held on Super Tuesday. 

California is holding elections for an open seat on the Senate while also introducing a ballot measure to address the rates of homelessness and the mental health system in the state.

North Carolina will also begin their race for governor today.