Voters in four states will cast their ballots in the March 12 presidential contests on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are largely expected to surpass their parties’ delegate thresholds to secure both nominations after the results roll in. Voters in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Washington state are voting. Polls for Democrats in the Northern Mariana Islands and Democrats abroad closed Tuesday morning.
Biden, who has secured 1,872 delegates, needs 1,968 delegates to win his party’s nomination. At stake for him on Tuesday are 254 delegates in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington, and Democrats abroad. Biden was awarded the Northern Mariana Islands’s delegates earlier on Tuesday.
Trump is expected to breeze past the necessary delegates to clinch the GOP nomination as well. The former president holds 1,078 of the required 1,215 delegates, with 161 being at stake in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Washington.
Georgia
Both the Democratic and Republican primaries are being held Tuesday in Georgia. The Peach State will be a key battleground state in the 2024 general election.
Biden, who beat Trump in the state in 2020 by only 11,779 votes out of nearly 5 million cast, looks to win the state in November to secure reelection. The primary could offer insight into how strong the president’s hold is on the state heading into his rematch against Trump.
Biden is not expected to have any real opposition in the state’s primary, however, Democratic challengers Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who dropped out after Super Tuesday, and Marianne Williamson will be on the ballot.
Meanwhile, Trump will also not face any strong opposition, with his pathway to the nomination being cleared after his last rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, dropped out of the race on March 6. Many of his former challengers, including Haley, will appear on the ballot.
Registered voters in the state can vote in either primary, as they do not register by party.
Polls will close at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Delegates at stake: 108 for Democrats, 59 for Republicans
Mississippi
In deep-red Mississippi, Trump will easily cruise to victory as the only GOP presidential candidate still running on the ballot, as will Biden, who is the only candidate on the presidential ballot for Democrats.
Mississippi is voting in multiple down-ballot races as well on Tuesday, with one Senate and four House seats being on the primary ballot.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) is seeking a fourth full term and is facing two Republican challengers for his seat.
GOP voters will also decide on primary races in the 2nd Congressional District and 4th District.
In the 2nd District, Ronald Eller, a retired captain in the Army, Andrew Smith, an insurance agency owner, and Taylor Turcotte, an advertising agency owner, are vying to become the Republican who will take on longtime incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), former chairman of the House Jan. 6 select committee, in November.
Democrat Craig Raybon is running unopposed to take on the winner of the GOP primary in the 4th District, featuring incumbent Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS), Carl Boyanton, a produce broker, and Michael McGill, a retired Army combat veteran.
Democratic voters will cast ballots in the 1st District primary between Dianne Black, a salon owner, and Matthew Williams, a writer and educator. The winner will run against incumbent Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS).
Polls will close at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Delegates at stake: 35 for Democrats, 40 for Republicans
Washington
Biden’s biggest challenge of the night may be overcoming the “uncommitted” vote that has plagued him throughout multiple states so far in the 2024 cycle. Thousands of Democratic voters in at least seven states have cast their ballots as “uncommitted” in protest of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
On Tuesday, voters in Washington will have the same option offered to them. Vote Uncommitted WA, a group that is pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza, is largely behind the state’s effort and is hoping for thousands of voters to vote against Biden in the state’s primary. Phillips and Williamson will also appear on the ballot.
Trump, though not likely to win Washington in a general election, should secure the state’s 43 delegates with ease with no candidates still in the race to challenge him. Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will appear on the ballot, however, as they registered for the primary before dropping their bids.
Voters in Washington register by presidential primary.
Polls will close at 11 p.m. Eastern time.
Delegates at stake: 92 for Democrats, 43 for Republicans
Hawaii
Only Republicans will decide on a presidential candidate as voters participate in the caucuses in Hawaii. Democrats already held their caucuses in Hawaii last week, awarding Biden all of their 15 delegates.
GOP voters will decide between Trump and seven other candidates, most of whom are no longer running, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time.
Haley, David Stuckenberg, Ryan Binkley, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Christie, DeSantis, and Ramaswamy are all still technically part of the Hawaii caucuses.
Only registered voters and Hawaii Republican Party members are allowed to participate, but same-day registration is available for those who want to vote for a candidate.
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Caucuses will end at 2 a.m. Eastern time.
Delegates at stake: 19 for Republicans