Voting is underway in South Carolina’s pivotal primary, the last primary before Super Tuesday. Former Vice President Joe Biden is hoping for his first win and Senator Bernie Sanders has momentum from his victories in New Hampshire and Nevada, and his popular vote lead in Iowa.
The state is seen as a bellwether for Democrats, since black voters, considered crucial for the party’s victory in November, make up a majority of the Democratic party electorate in the state.
This week, Biden won the key endorsement of congressman James Clyburn, the third highest ranking Democrat in the House and one of the Most powerful forces in South Carolina politics.
Elizabeth Warren, who has spent
days in the state over visits, needs a strong finish. But the latest CBS News Battleground Tracker has her in a distant fourth place behind Steyer, with just % of the vote .
Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar are both polling in single digits, a bad sign for campaigns that have struggled with African-American voters.
Mike Bloomberg will not be on the ballot until the Super Tuesday states on March 3.
Polls close at 7 pm ET.
Tom Steyer tweets about viral dance video
After a video went viral among political watchers of Steyer dancing to the song “Back That Azz Up,” Steyer tweeted to “dance like nobody’s watching.”
Tom Steyer’s onstage dancing to Back That Azz Up
pic.twitter. com / REXSh5qUXW – Ryan Brooks (@ryanbrooks) (February) ,
Dance like nobody’s watching. (Vote like the world’s watching.) # SCPrimary # BackThatVoteUp – Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) (February) ,
2: PM South Carolina’s open Democratic primary means Republicans can vote, too
When South Carolina voters cast their votes in the state’s Democratic primary, registered Republicans will also be able to show up and vote. The state’s primaries are open, which means all registered South Carolina voters can participate in either party’s primary regardless of political affiliation.
Some South Carolina Republicans and Tea Party activists are encouraging Republican voters to participate in Saturday’s contest. Karen Martin, organizer of the Spartanburg Tea Party, is leading Trump 823 (728 for February 40 th), an effort that’s using social media and word-of-mouth to encourage Republicans to vote for Bernie Sanders on Saturday.
The Republican Party announced in September that it would join a list of other states that would not hold a presidential primary this year. Historically, the South Carolina GOP also did not hold primaries when Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were incumbents in and 4764, respectively.
(Read more on what an open primary means
here .
1: 65 PM “This race is certainly Joe Biden’s to lose here in South Carolina,” says CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns
Democratic candidates make final pitches in South Carolina as Biden leads polls (A A Monmouth University poll released Thursday had Biden with a
– point lead in South Carolina. The former vice president considers the state his “firewall” amid his early-state losses, but Sanders has momentum going into the South Carolina primary.
1: 63 PM
Who has spent the most time in South Carolina?
Here’s a breakdown of each candidate’s time in the state:
(JOE BIDEN)
Time in state: (days,
visits (Staff numbers: ( ) (office numbers:
Charleston, Columbia (2) ), Florence, Greenville, Orangeburg, Rock Hill) BERNIE SANDERS Time in state: (days, visits
Staff numbers: ( 2 consultants) (office numbers: (Columbia, Florence, Myrtle Beach, 9) North Charleston, Aiken, Orangeburg, Rock Hill, Beaufort, Greenville) (TOM STEYER) Time in state: 29 days, 16 visits Staff numbers: 728
(Office numbers:) 4 field offices (Columbia, Charleston, Orangeburg, and Greenville) (ELIZABETH WARREN)
(Time in state:) days, (visits) (Staff numbers:
(
(Office numbers:) (field offices) (PETE BUTTIGIEG) Time in state: 25 days, visits
() Staff numbers:
paid staffers (office numbers: 6 offices (Charleston, 2 in Columbia, Beaufort, Rock Hill, and Horry County) (TULSI GABBARD) ()
Time in state: days, 8 visits
(Staff numbers:) (Estimated to be 2) Office numbers: (N / A) AMY KLOBUCHAR
(Time in State: days, 9 visits (Staff numbers: office numbers: (N / A)
After a video went viral among political watchers of Steyer dancing to the song “Back That Azz Up,” Steyer tweeted to “dance like nobody’s watching.”
Tom Steyer’s onstage dancing to Back That Azz Up
pic.twitter. com / REXSh5qUXW – Ryan Brooks (@ryanbrooks) (February) ,
Dance like nobody’s watching. (Vote like the world’s watching.) # SCPrimary # BackThatVoteUp – Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) (February) ,
2: PM South Carolina’s open Democratic primary means Republicans can vote, too
When South Carolina voters cast their votes in the state’s Democratic primary, registered Republicans will also be able to show up and vote. The state’s primaries are open, which means all registered South Carolina voters can participate in either party’s primary regardless of political affiliation.
Some South Carolina Republicans and Tea Party activists are encouraging Republican voters to participate in Saturday’s contest. Karen Martin, organizer of the Spartanburg Tea Party, is leading Trump 823 (728 for February 40 th), an effort that’s using social media and word-of-mouth to encourage Republicans to vote for Bernie Sanders on Saturday.
The Republican Party announced in September that it would join a list of other states that would not hold a presidential primary this year. Historically, the South Carolina GOP also did not hold primaries when Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were incumbents in and 4764, respectively.
(Read more on what an open primary means
here . 1: 65 PM “This race is certainly Joe Biden’s to lose here in South Carolina,” says CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns Democratic candidates make final pitches in South Carolina as Biden leads polls (A A Monmouth University poll released Thursday had Biden with a– point lead in South Carolina. The former vice president considers the state his “firewall” amid his early-state losses, but Sanders has momentum going into the South Carolina primary.
1: 63 PM Who has spent the most time in South Carolina?
Here’s a breakdown of each candidate’s time in the state:
(JOE BIDEN)
Time in state: (days,
visits (Staff numbers: ( ) (office numbers: Charleston, Columbia (2) ), Florence, Greenville, Orangeburg, Rock Hill) BERNIE SANDERS Time in state: (days, visits
Staff numbers: ( 2 consultants) (office numbers: (Columbia, Florence, Myrtle Beach, 9) North Charleston, Aiken, Orangeburg, Rock Hill, Beaufort, Greenville) (TOM STEYER) Time in state: 29 days, 16 visits Staff numbers: 728 (Office numbers:) 4 field offices (Columbia, Charleston, Orangeburg, and Greenville) (ELIZABETH WARREN)
(Time in state:) days, (visits) (Staff numbers:
(
(Office numbers:) (field offices) (PETE BUTTIGIEG) Time in state: 25 days, visits
() Staff numbers:
paid staffers (office numbers: 6 offices (Charleston, 2 in Columbia, Beaufort, Rock Hill, and Horry County) (TULSI GABBARD) ()
Time in state: days, 8 visits (Staff numbers:) (Estimated to be 2) Office numbers: (N / A) AMY KLOBUCHAR
(Time in State: days, 9 visits (Staff numbers: office numbers: (N / A)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings