ATLANTA — It is a critical day when it comes to the candidates who hope to be President, but this year Georgia is breaking tradition and is not a part of Super Tuesday.
Why?
Georgia was one of the originals. It was the 1980s when voters first heard the term “Super Tuesday.”
Georgia was one of a handful of states that participated in an early March presidential primary.
Over the years the crowd has grown.
Historically, Super Tuesday has played an integral role in narrowing the candidates for president and Georgia has traditionally been a part of it.
Not this year.
“It was the right move,” says political analyst Brian Robinson. “It’s not going to cost us any influence.”
Super Tuesday 2020 will involve 14 states. One-third of the delegates needed to grab a party’s nomination will be up for grabs.
Georgia will be the only state holding a primary three weeks later on March 24th.
Political experts say separating from the crowd will be good for Georgia.
“More attention comes to the state,” says political consultant Tharon Johnson. “You’ll see people narrow their message of what they’ll do for Georgia. We’ll be able to have a center of focus of attention on the state.”
Voting in Georgia this year comes with a twist. The state will use brand new machines that involve paper ballots. A delayed primary gives the state time to prepare.
“We need to get the voting system ready,” says Robinson. “We can not have any errors. We can’t have any long lines. It would be a national black eye.”
In 2016, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battled it out for the Democratic nomination beyond Super Tuesday into June.
While Super Tuesday will carry a lot of weight this year, Georgia should have a major impact on the race for President when it’s the only show in town on March 24th.
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