General elections
happen every four years. They are held so voters can pick the next president of the United States. The choice is primarily between one Democrat and one Republican. Voters go to the polls on November 3.
Before that happens, though, Democrats run against Democrats and Republicans run against Republicans. They all hope to become their party's candidate in the general election. This first stage is called the
primaries
. Voting is spread out over a period of months. After all the states have held primaries, the Democratic and Republican parties both hold their own National Convention. At these conventions, they nominate, or select, a presidential candidate to run in the general election.
The person who wins a party's presidential nomination doesn't necessarily need to receive the most votes. What counts is the number of
delegates
they end up with. Delegates are people who get to vote at their party's National Convention. Each state is given a certain number of delegates. The state parties then award delegates to the candidates based on the votes they receive. The first candidate to get a majority of the nearly 4,000 delegates wins the nomination.
Super Tuesday
The biggest day of the primaries is
Super Tuesday
. That's the day when the most states hold nominating contests, and the most voters have a chance to go to the polls. It is also the day on which the most delegates are awarded to candidates. More than a third of all delegates for the Democratic National Convention are up for grabs on this one day.
Both Democrats and Republicans can vote in Super Tuesday states. However, this year President Trump isn't facing a serious challenger. For that reason, we're focusing here on the Democrats.
So far, the Democratic presidential primary has no clear front-runner. Super Tuesday could change that.
Here's what you need to know.
Q: When is Super Tuesday?
A: It's March 3. It will be the first big primary day after the four early nominating states hold their votes. Those four states are Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
Super Tuesday is not the last day of voting in the primaries. The primaries continue all the way until June.
Q: Which states are voting on Super Tuesday and how many delegates are at stake?
A: Fourteen states and one U.S. territory will hold nominating contests on Super Tuesday. Together, they will award a total of 1,357 delegates.
The 14 states are spread across the country. They are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
This year, Super Tuesday is more important than ever. California is taking part for the first time. It has the biggest population of any state. Thirty percent of the delegates awarded on Super Tuesday will come from California.
No one can win the nomination based on Super Tuesday alone. However, doing well that day can get you a long way toward winning. Thirty-four percent of all delegates are offered on Super Tuesday.
Q: Why is Super Tuesday important, especially this year?
A: The race for the Democratic nomination is still wide open. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg finished in the top two in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Sanders is leading in recent national polling. When asked who they plan to vote for, more people picked him than any other candidate. But Super Tuesday could change everything. Another candidate could pull ahead.
Super Tuesday may change the race in other ways too. Right now, there are still eight Democratic candidates. Super Tuesday could narrow the field. Candidates who do poorly may be forced to drop out.
Also, Super Tuesday will bring out a broad range of voters. Iowa and New Hampshire were the first two states to hold nominating contests. Both have largely white populations. Super Tuesday will give large numbers of minority voters the first chance to have their voice heard.
There's another reason Super Tuesday could be especially important this year: Former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg will be appearing on presidential ballots for the first time that day. He entered the race late and skipped the early states. Bloomberg has spent $350 million of his own money on campaign ads. He has been taking support away from former vice president Joe Biden, who was once considered the front-runner.
What to watch for ahead of Super Tuesday:
1. How does Bloomberg do on the ballot?
So far, Bloomberg has been rising in state and national polls. But that rise is causing an increased focus on his past record. Critics have pointed to his support for allegedly racist stop-and-frisk policing when he was mayor. Bloomberg has also been heavily criticized for his treatment of women at the company he runs.
2. Do Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren survive beyond Super Tuesday?
These two once-leading candidates had disappointing showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. Both hope to do much better on Super Tuesday. But what happens if they don't? Will the race be all over for them?
3. Does Super Tuesday blunt Sanders' momentum in any way?
Since the Iowa caucuses, Sanders has been leading in national polls. However, he is not doing as well in some key Super Tuesday states. Sanders still has to convince Democratic Party leaders that he can beat Trump. If he finishes below third place in more than a few Super Tuesday states, Sanders may be in trouble. He will have a much harder time convincing the party that he can win a national election.
The article is mainly organized as question and answer. Why do you think the author chose to organize the information this way?
A
to show that the presidential primary process is not as complicated as it seems
B
to explain the biggest problems Americans have with the presidential primary system
C
to ensure the article is easy to read by making it sound like a conversation between two people
D
to give clear responses to some of the most likely questions people have about an important event
C
to ensure the article is easy to read by making it sound like a conversation between two people
Read the article's introduction [paragraphs 1-3] and the final section, "3. Does Super Tuesday blunt Sanders' momentum in any way?"
What is one connection between these two sections?
A
The introduction explains presidential primaries, and the final section explains how Super Tuesday could affect the current leader in the Democratic primaries.
B
The introduction describes the history of the presidential primaries, and the final section illustrates how one candidate wants to change the primary process.
C
Both the introduction and the final section explain why Sanders has done so well in the Democratic primaries so far.
D
Both the introduction and the final section compare the differences between the primary process and the general presidential election.
A
The introduction explains presidential primaries, and the final section explains how Super Tuesday could affect the current leader in the Democratic primaries.
Make and support a claim about why someone should read this text. What makes this text worth reading? What will a reader gain or what might a reader do after reading this? Support your response with specific details from the text.
One reason why someone should read this text is to gain a better understanding of the importance and significance of Super Tuesday in the Democratic presidential primary process. The text provides a thorough explanation of what Super Tuesday is, which states participate, the number of delegates at stake, and why it is a crucial day in the primaries. For example, the article mentions that Super Tuesday offers a substantial amount of delegates (1,357) from 14 states, including California, which has the largest population of any state. This information can help readers comprehend the scale and impact of the day on the overall primary process.
Additionally, by reading this text, readers can stay informed about the current state of the Democratic presidential primary race. The article discusses the different candidates, including Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Mike Bloomberg, and their performances in previous states like Iowa and New Hampshire. It also raises questions about the future of candidates based on their performance on Super Tuesday. By engaging with this information, readers can stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the Democratic primaries and have a better understanding of the potential outcomes after Super Tuesday.
Overall, reading this text can provide readers with valuable information about the upcoming Super Tuesday, the significance of the day in the primaries, and the current state of the Democratic presidential race. This information can help readers make informed decisions about their views on the candidates and the primary process, as well as keep them up-to-date with the latest political developments.