Check back for live updates across the country, more than a dozen states hosting major voting contests
Virginia and Vermont to be first states to close
First of all, this Super Tuesday: Vermont and Virginia.
These two states – one potentially competitive, the other probably not – will close at 7 p.m.
Results will take hours to arrive, and sometimes screenings will too. But in other cases, the winner could be called quickly. In South Carolina, a network called former vice president Joe Biden the winner on the basis of the exit vote seconds before the vote ended. Another described it as closing the second polls.
Vermont is the home state of Senator Bernie Sanders, which gives it a considerable advantage on the ground.
Virginia is a state in which Biden has spent a great deal of time, and his success or failure could be an early indicator of whether his victory in South Carolina was unique or a sign of renewed momentum.
Thirty minutes later, another key state closes its doors: Alabama. This is another close contest where Biden’s recent success in South Carolina could be a factor.
Then a big wave of states arrives at 8 p.m .: Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts and Oklahoma. Tennessee had planned to close at 8 p.m. but some polling stations will remain open longer due to the deadly storms that hit the state early Tuesday.
– John Fritze
Tennessee Extends Voting In Several Locations After Tornadoes
A Davidson county judge said Tuesday afternoon that Tennessee polling stations could remain open until 8 p.m. CT at all Nashville sites.
The polling stations were initially closed at 8 p.m. AND. Five polling stations will remain open until 11 p.m. AND.
The move came at the request of four of the main Democratic presidential campaigns, as well as the Tennessee Democratic Party. The groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a Nashville court to extend polling hours amid tornadoes throughout the city. A voting rights group also urged Tennessee to extend Tuesday’s primary vote in areas damaged by the tornadoes.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has declared a state of emergency. President Donald Trump has said he will travel to the region on Friday to investigate the damage from “very vicious” tornadoes.
Kristen Clarke, chair of the Lawyers for Civil Rights Under Law Committee, part of a consortium responsible for monitoring election security on Tuesday, urged Lee, Secretary of State Tre Hargett and the election coordinator Mark Goins to extend the voting period.
“It is essential that all voters have the opportunity to vote fairly and fully,” said Clarke. “It is not possible for residents of the Tennessee regions who were devastated by the tornado.”
– Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, and Adam Tamburin and Natalie Allison, Nashville Tennessean
In the progressive area of northern Virginia, it’s mainly Sanders or Warren – and certainly not Trump
Alexandria, Va. – Lindsay Robinson, 34, said she voted for Warren because the Massachusetts senator “has a plan for everything.”
“She’s smart. She’s capable,” said Robinson.
But with recent results and other candidates leaving the race and supporting Biden, she fears that Warren will also withdraw.
“It would be a shame if we beat Trump just to get someone who doesn’t do great things,” said Robinson.
What started off as a super wet Tuesday turned sunny late in the afternoon in northern Virginia, where the pre-election ballot showed that Biden, Bloomberg and Sanders were near the top of the pack for the most Democratic votes . For many voters here, the issue of beating Trump in the general election is in the lead, but they have also expressed support for a candidate with a progressive political platform.
Super Tuesday results: Follow the state-by-state results of Super Tuesday.
Most of the voters who spoke with USA TODAY at the polling station in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., supported Sanders or Warren, but Biden still had strong support. A voter, who did not give his name, learned from a reporter after he had already voted that the candidate she supported, Buttigieg, had given up over the weekend.
For some progressive voters, concern comes to mind at the mention of Bloomberg. “I will vote in blue no matter who,” said Annette Licitra, 62, “but (Warren) is the closest to representing my values.”
Jackie Camerlinck, 53, is a teacher and said she supports Sanders because “I think we need more than just an Obama.”
She likes Sanders over the other candidates because of her support for Medicare for All, among others. She also thinks what her cabinet would look like if elected president.
“He will entrust to a responsible (the Ministry of Education) who has experience as a teacher,” she said.
Kris Patton, 46, also loves Sanders, but it took him a while to try to narrow down all the candidates to make up his mind. She loved Klobuchar, but knew that Bloomberg was not for her. Warren made too many errors of judgment, such as attacking Sanders, she said. And with Biden, “I don’t mean he’s disconnected, but maybe 15 years ago, he was the right person.”
However, Biden supporters have said that the former vice president was a better bet to beat Trump.
“I want something new. I’m tired of the bad things… that Trump is doing, ”said Teresa Diggs, 61. Diggs, a teacher for over 30 years, said health care was the biggest problem for her as she neared retirement, and she always knew Biden. is the candidate for it.
“I want the best for our country, and it’s Joe Biden,” she said.
– Ryan Miller
Donald Trump keeps commenting on Democrats on Super Tuesday
President Donald Trump happily weighed in on the Democratic race throughout this great Tuesday – even during a coronavirus briefing at the National Institutes of Health.
“Well, it’s going to be a very interesting TV night,” Trump told the NIH when a reporter asked him about the Democratic primaries. “I think it’s really going to be something.”
Trump has said he thinks Joe Biden “has moved a bit” and repeated his claim that the Democrats were somehow conspiring to refuse the presidential nomination to Bernie Sanders.
“I don’t know if it’s fair, but I guess it’s politics,” said Trump. “When you get straight to the point: what is right?”
Trump also said he doesn’t care who the Democrats oppose: “I will take whatever I need. This is how it will work. It doesn’t matter.”
The president’s campaign comments echo those he made to reporters when he left the White House for the NIH.
Trump also tweeted a few thoughts on Super Tuesday early in the morning, though most of those comments are about a third potential opponent: Michael Bloomberg.
“Mini Mike Bloomberg can never recover from his incompetent debating performance,” he said in a tweet.
– David Jackson
Hoyer refuses to join Clyburn, saying Sanders would “kill” Democrats as candidate
Majority House Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Declined to characterize the impact Democratic Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders would have on Congress, but told reporters on Tuesday that House leaders hoped increase their Democratic majority in the fall.
The majority of the House Whip, James Clyburn, DS.C., warned last week against the “carnage of ballots”, as Democrats in the most conservative states will lose seats if Sanders becomes the candidate to challenge the President Donald Trump. Clyburn approved former vice president Joe Biden.
But Hoyer said the Maryland primary would not be held until April 28 and that he did not want to characterize a Sanders nomination. Parliamentary leaders are focused on widening their majority, he said.
“I think our incumbents are extraordinarily strong, have had a very good first year and more at Congress. And so, we’re going to be working very hard on that, ”said Hoyer. “And we, of course, want to make sure the top of the ticket is also elected because we want to defeat Trump.”
When asked if the top of the note was important, Hoyer replied that it was. But he said the field should shrink by the end of April and that the party would unite behind the candidate.
“The top of the ticket is very important. And I say that I hope we have someone at the top of the list who can strengthen the candidacies of our candidates, ”said Hoyer. “And all of the candidates said they would support the party candidate, again, on the assumption that Trump is not an acceptable alternative.”
– Bart Jansen
Hillary Clinton: Sanders would not be the “strongest” candidate
Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said in a television interview on Tuesday that she thought Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Would not be the “strongest” candidate against President Donald Trump.
In one Interview with ABC News Live segment to be broadcast in full later tonight, Clinton said, “I don’t think he would be our strongest candidate, no. That’s what this is for this main process,” interviewed on former Vice President Joe Biden’s argument that Sanders didn’t beat Trump.
Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election but won the popular vote, said that “the most important question is who can defeat Donald Trump.”
– Nicholas Wu
Minnesota website is briefly redirected to pro-Warren group
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – Some Minnesota voters trying to find their polling site on the website of the non-partisan Secretary of State were briefly redirected to the website of a progressive group that supported Senator Elizabeth Warren in the presidency, stirring up the concerns of some Republicans.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. in Minnesota as Super Tuesday voting begins.
In a statement, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said his office’s website, which helps voters find their voting location, was out of action early Tuesday.
“Our policy in the event of technical problems is that voters be redirected to find their information via the designated backup, Google’s non-partisan voting information project,” he said. “In an urgent attempt to restore service, a staff member deviated from our emergency plan and, in a serious breach of judgment, linked to a partisan website that contained information about the polling places.”
Super Tuesday live results:Get up-to-date primary results
The incident was first reported by the Star-Tribune.
The partisan website was intended for the progressive change campaign committee, which endorsed Warren and argued for “bold progressive” policies.
“When this error was discovered, we corrected the link,” said Simon in the statement. “The link in question was active for approximately 17 minutes.”
Republican state representative Jim Nash criticized Simon’s office, saying in a statement that it showed “astonishing lack of judgment on the part of the secretary of state’s office”.
“Although I appreciate the preparations Secretary Simon has made to ensure that voters can find their polling station in the event of a state website overload, this organization is not an appropriate source for our electoral office can use it, “he said.
– Brianne Pfannenstiel, Register of Monks
Fears of coronavirus caused staff problems at Texas polling stations
AUSTIN, Texas – The Travis, Texas, county clerk’s office said fears of catching the new coronavirus were causing chaos in county polling sites at the start of Super Tuesday.
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said 11 people, including judges responsible for the opening Tuesday of some of the county’s 175 polling stations, did not show up for work for fear of catching the new coronavirus . DeBeauvoir said it was above the 31 judges who also said last week that they would not come to operate the polling stations for fear of catching the virus or another disease.
“A significant number of electoral judges called and said they were resigning,” said DeBeauvoir. “They had various excuses. They just decided they didn’t want to do this and decided they were scared of the news, so last night we phoned the parties to try to get more workers. “
DeBeauvoir stated that it generally takes six, but not less than three, judges and poll workers to operate a single polling station. The county clerk’s office worked all morning to find replacements, however, as they did, other workers also left their jobs once they realized there were not enough workers to open to vote.
DeBeauvoir said at 9 am Tuesday that Travis County had 164 vacancies after exhausting all of its emergency workers. However, all polling stations were now open and operational again, according to the county clerk.
– Heather Osbourne, Austin American-Statesman
O’Rourke and Biden shared Whataburger meal before Super Tuesday
Beto O’Rourke delivered on his promise to give former Vice President Joe Biden a world class meal on Monday.
The O’Rourkes and Bidens traveled to Whataburger in Dallas, who joked O’Rourke less than half a mile from where they had organized a rally for Biden. O’Rourke, who approved Biden, was one of the speakers at the Biden rally.
O’Rourke posted a video of the stop at Whataburger on his Facebook page.
Customers applauded and were delighted to see the politicians walking around the burger and visiting people before ordering their hamburger combos. One woman said meeting them made dinner at Whataburger the coolest experience.
O’Rourke and Biden:Beto O’Rourke and Joe Biden have dinner at Whataburger after the rally
The predominantly Texas-based franchise was a frequent stop for O’Rourke during his campaign on the President’s route. He was even filmed rolling in one on a skateboard.
Biden had a cheeseburger combo with fries, O’Rourke had a double meat Whataburger without tomatoes, and O’Rourke Amy’s wife had her Whataburger with jalapeños.
– Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times
Sanders designs a show at the Vermont polling station
BURLINGTON, Vermont – Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, attracted a swarm of reporters as he voted in his home state of Vermont on Super Tuesday.
Sanders and his wife Jane O’Meara Sanders voted near their home in the New North End of Burlington at around 10:25 a.m.
“It’s very nice to be back, I can tell you,” said Sanders to a poll worker. Journalists holding notebooks, microphones and television cameras filled the polling station, prevented by election officials from getting too close.
After voting, Sanders made a short speech to the assembled journalists.
“You have increased Vermont’s GDP by 16%. We appreciate it,” joked Sanders.
Sanders voting in Vermont:Bernie Sanders Attracts Media Show During Burlington Vote
Domestic and foreign journalists tapped in, suffocating the lawns of the Robert Miller Community and Leisure Center, hitting the ground in mud and climbing on snow banks for a better view.
“To beat Donald Trump, we’re going to need the largest voter turnout in the history of this country,” said Sanders. “We need energy. We need excitement. I think our campaign is this campaign.”
– April Barton and April McCullum, Burlington Free Press
Former FBI director Comey backs Biden
Former FBI director James Comey, whose dismissal in 2017 by President Donald Trump partly triggered an investigation into Russian electoral interference, wrote in a tweet Tuesday that he supports former Vice President Joe Biden to the presidency.
Comey’s tweet arrives on Super Tuesday, when about a third of Democratic delegates are up for grabs when 14 states and one US territory vote first.
“Voted in Dem’s first primary to support the party dedicated to restoring World Heritage values. I agree with @amyklobuchar: We need a candidate who cares about all Americans and will restore the decency, dignity in the office. There’s a reason why Trump fears @joebiden and his roots “for Bernie. # Biden2020, “reads Comey’s tweet.
Biden’s campaign hasn’t really embraced Comey’s support.
“Yes, customer service? I just received a package that I haven’t ordered much. How can I return it for free?” read a tweet from Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates just minutes after Comey posted his tweet.
Deadly tornadoes delay Super Tuesday vote in parts of Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Super Tuesday voting began an hour later in Nashville and Wilson County, Tennessee, due to tornado damage in the area.
Polling stations at these locations will now open at 8 am CST, according to the Secretary of State for Tennessee. They will still be closed as scheduled at 7 p.m. CST.
Election officials in Nashville have announced several alternative voting sites to compensate for the damage.
The tornado, caused by a deadly storm in middle Tennessee, hit Nashville early Tuesday morning, digging a path of destruction for miles across the city.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said nine people died in the storms at a press conference on Tuesday morning. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said the tornadoes hit more than 40 buildings.
Polling places in Alabama have also been affected by tornadoes. Polling station workers outside Birmingham were forced to seek shelter when they began opening doors for voters. The storm cut the electricity and cut down trees, but the two voting machines in the precinct had backup batteries.
Voting on Super Tuesday, when 14 states and one American territory voted, started early Tuesday morning, with voters going to polls across the country. Super Tuesday is a defining day for the 2020 presidential primary, as around a third of the delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination are up for grabs.
– Adam Tamburin, Tennesseean; Associated press
Biden faces big Super Tuesday test with Latin voters
Joe Biden’s chances of remaining competitive with Bernie Sanders after Super Tuesday may depend on expanding his support for Hispanic voters who have so far turned massively to the Vermont senator.
In California and Texas, the two biggest manna prizes in the Super Tuesday contests, about 30% of eligible voters are Latinos.
Recent polls before Biden’s big South Carolina win on Saturday show that Sanders has almost three times the support of the Latin Democrats in California as Biden and a 12 point lead over Biden with the Latin Democrats in Texas.
Biden Super Tuesday test:Biden Faces Big Test With Latino Voters On Super Tuesday As He Seeks To Reduce Sanders’ Strength
“Sanders is going to get a delegated manager. It’s just a matter of amount, “said Kyle Kondik, an analyst at the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. “If Biden can build up support and prevent Sanders’ support among Hispanics from increasing as candidates drop out, then that becomes more doable.”
– Maureen Groppe, Rebecca Morin, John C. Moritz and Rebecca Plevin
How important Super Tuesday is
About a third of the delegates required to obtain the Democratic presidential nomination are to be won in the ballot box known as Super Tuesday.
To put things into perspective, there were 155 promised delegates available in the first four contests of the race, which were the obsession of candidates, voters, experts and political tipsters for the month of February. On Super Tuesday, 1,344 delegates are to be taken – as well as 13 delegates representing Americans abroad, who have one week to vote from Tuesday.
Great Tuesday:A state-by-state breakdown of what to watch for Super Tuesday, where 15 contests are up for grabs
If a candidate can obtain 1,991 or more of the 3,979 delegates available in all the primary competitions before the National Democratic Convention of July 13, the nomination is theirs.
These numbers help explain why billionaire media mogul Mike Bloomberg decided to ignore Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina to focus his half-billion-dollar ad blitz on the states of the 3rd of March.
– William Cummings
Welcome to Super Tuesday
WASHINGTON – Super Tuesday has finally arrived.
Fourteen states and one American territory will vote on Tuesday, representing more than 30% of the delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.
And what a wild day it was.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is looking to continue his momentum after a resounding victory in South Carolina on Saturday. Also working in its favor? Senator Amy Klobuchar and former mayor Pete Buttigieg, both seen as competitors for more centrist voters, have given up since Saturday and have supported the former vice president.
Super Tuesday live results:Follow the live results of all Super Tuesday contests
But Biden faces a tough battle against Senator Bernie Sanders, who has been the favorite so far in the campaign. Sanders leads the national delegate race and also conducts polls in several key states, including California and Texas – two of the largest states with the most delegates to win. Sanders has campaigned intensively in these states since winning the Nevada caucus.
More:A state-by-state breakdown of what to watch for Super Tuesday
More:Democrats need a diverse coalition to win in November. Does an almost entirely white field harm this prospect?
Biden, however, has focused much of his campaigning efforts in South Carolina. He is now playing catch-up with Sanders and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chose not to participate in the first votes to focus on the states of Super Tuesday. But Bloomberg has yet to win a single national delegate and has been severely attacked by fellow candidates in two recent debates.
Primary California:How the Golden State vote could make – or break – the presidential candidates left behind
Senator Elizabeth Warren is also looking to create a sensation, having slowly lost momentum in recent weeks. She placed third in the Iowa Premier Caucus, but has not made the top 3 since. But Warren has repeatedly stated that his campaign is designed for the long term and that he may consider participating in the race until the July convention.
Representative Tulsi Gabbard also remains in the race, although she has not won any delegate so far and votes in single digit figures.
