Wednesday Briefing: Americans Vote on Super Tuesday

Voters in California, yesterday.Credit…Jenna Schoenefeld for The New York Times

What’s at stake on Super Tuesday

Millions of voters across 15 states are casting ballots on Super Tuesday, one of the most important dates on the U.S. political calendar.

It’s the day in the presidential primary cycle when the most states vote, and it will move the race closer to a White House rematch in November between President Biden and Donald Trump. It will also almost certainly be a blow to Nikki Haley, Trump’s Republican challenger.

Results will start coming soon after we send out this newsletter. Here’s the latest.

Trump is seeking to bounce Haley from the race. Recent polls in Texas and California — the states that will award the most delegates on Tuesday — show him with wide leads.

For Biden, who has no major opponents, observers are watching turnout and the popularity of the “uncommitted” ballot option as a protest vote in states like Minnesota.

While it’s hard to make reliable predictions about the general election based on primaries, my colleague Maggie Astor, who is covering the primary, said the contests would give us signs about the months ahead.

“Aspects of the Super Tuesday results — including how close Nikki Haley comes to Trump, how many people cast protest votes against Biden, and how high turnout is — could provide some indications of how united and enthusiastic the Democratic and Republican Parties are,” she said.