Eight candidates for the US Democratic presidential candidacy are still in the running. Seven of them are now on the ballot in the South Carolina area code. There is a lot at stake, especially for an applicant - who was once a beacon of hope.
Washington (dpa) - In the race for the US presidential candidacy of the Democrats, the fourth area code is held in the state of South Carolina.
Polls see former Vice President Joe Biden (77) as a favorite, who has been disappointing in the three previous primaries and is therefore urgently dependent on success. Second in the state is Senator Bernie Sanders (78), who describes himself as a democratic socialist. He has won two victories so far and leads the field of applicants in nationwide surveys.
LAST CHOICE BEFORE THE IMPORTANT "SUPER TUESDAY"
The area code is the last one before "Super Tuesday" next Tuesday. Then is elected in more than a dozen states. More than a third of all delegates will be assigned to determine the Democratic candidate in the summer. This candidate will vote against Republican incumbent Donald Trump on November 3. Trump himself has no serious internal competition. The Republicans have therefore deleted their area codes in South Carolina and several other states.
WHY BIDEN MUST HOPE SOUTH CAROLINA
In South Carolina, significantly more black people can vote than in the previous primaries in the states of Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Biden - who belongs to the moderate flights of the Democrats - hopes to score with this group of voters.
"I worked like hell to win the votes of black Americans, not just here, but everywhere in the country," said Biden during a TV debate among Democratic candidates in Charleston, South Carolina on Tuesday. When asked whether he would continue his candidacy in the event of a defeat in South Carolina, he replied: "I will win South Carolina."
Who is still in the race - and who is on the ballot
In addition to Biden and Sanders, there are six other applicants in the race for the Democratic presidential candidacy: former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (78), ex-Mayor of South Bend (Indiana), Pete Buttigieg (38), Senator Amy Klobuchar ( 59), former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer (62), Senator Elizabeth Warren (70) and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (38). Bloomberg does not run in South Carolina - as in the previous primaries. The multi-billionaire started the race late and is on the "Super Tuesday" for the first time on the ballot papers.
WHO COULD POINTS UP TO A LOT
Buttigieg had a head-to-head race with Sanders at the first area code in Iowa in early February, but had ended up with a little more delegates. In the area code in New Hampshire, Sanders narrowly prevailed against Buttigieg, Nevada, however, Sanders won with a clear lead over Biden and Buttigieg.
Biden started as a hopeful in the race for the Democratic presidential candidacy, but has not been able to prevail in the previous primaries and has clearly lost approval in surveys. He'd finished fourth in Iowa, and fifth in New Hampshire.
PRESELECTION UNTIL JUNE - THEN THE DECISION IS TAKEN
The polling stations in South Carolina on Saturday open at 7:00 a.m. (local time / 1:00 p.m. CET). They close at 7 p.m. (Sunday, 1 a.m.CET). The first results are then expected. The primaries run until June. Afterwards, Democrats and Republicans finally nominate their presidential candidates at nomination party conferences - the Democrats in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) in July and the Republicans in Charlotte (North Carolina) in August.
Overview of surveys on applicants in South Carolina
South Carolina Election Commission
Results page of the election commission